Recently, there has been a growing awareness of the long-term effects of trauma.
In the past, talking about trauma and acknowledging it was often seen as taboo. However, societal attitudes are changing - and the stigma around openly discussing mental health is slowly fading away.
Perhaps you're wondering if certain struggles you’ve been dealing with are actually the result of past trauma. You may have experienced something genuinely traumatizing years ago, but you’ve only just begun to accept what happened. Or maybe you’re ready to get help to move past your trauma, but you don’t know where to start.
Let’s begin by exploring what trauma is, what causes it, its physical and mental effects, and how to heal from it.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is the result of the brain and body being completely overwhelmed by deeply disturbing or distressing experiences.
The person who has faced a traumatic event does not have the ability to make sense of or cope with what has occurred. In fact, they may struggle to process what happened for years to come. This is not due to a lack of personal resilience—it’s a natural reaction to an event that threatened their physical safety or well-being.
What Causes Trauma?
There are a wide variety of events that cause trauma. For example, the death of a loved one is a common cause. Divorce, domestic violence, childhood abuse, or sexual assault or abuse can also be traumatizing. So can a life-threatening accident or illness.
Moreover, large-scale events like natural disasters, famines, or armed conflicts can traumatize many victims. People can also be traumatized as a result of repetitive systemic issues, such as racism, sexism, or homophobia. The survivor may feel like the traumatic event or events draws the line between a distinct “before” and “after” in their life, or they may feel that the trauma is just a part of life.
What Are the Effects of Trauma?
People can experience a vast range of trauma symptoms. Many struggle with anxiety and depression in the wake of trauma. Others may develop sleep disorders and wake up in the middle of the night due to night terrors.
Physical symptoms of trauma can include headaches, stomachaches, heart palpitations, and more. The chronic stress brought on by trauma can even lead to a trauma survivor having a weakened immune system and getting sick more often.
Avoidance is another symptom of trauma. For example, a trauma victim might try their best to avoid certain people or places as it reminds them of what they've experienced. And unexpected triggers can set off panic attacks without much warning. Trauma can cause people to feel disconnected or “absent” mentally or emotionally.
How Can You Heal from Trauma?
If you’ve personally experienced trauma, you may be wondering what to do next. After all, if you’ve been living with the effects of trauma for years on end, you might feel hopeless. And you may have asked yourself: How can I finally process what happened? Will the healing process be painful? Will I feel like the same person when it’s all said and done?
The truth is that genuine healing from trauma takes time, effort, and patience. Having the right professional support and guidance is key.
Trying to navigate the healing process on your own can be extremely challenging. Working with an experienced professional can make the process more manageable. A skilled and compassionate therapist will work closely with you and give you a safe space to open up about what happened.
As you engage in therapy sessions, your therapist may help you to explore different modalities for addressing trauma, such as CBT, EDMR, or narrative therapy. In addition, you will learn different techniques to help you manage trauma symptoms and cope with the intense feelings traumatic memories can create.
While the process of healing from trauma can be challenging, you absolutely can move forward and live a life filled with joy, peace, and hope.
Have you experienced trauma in the past? Are you ready to begin your healing journey and move forward? Therapy can be an important aspect of healing from trauma. Please, contact me for additional information and to see how I can support you.
Read more about Trauma Treatment with Kimberly Brasher.