What is Trauma?
Trauma is a normal response to an abnormal experience. It involves psychological and emotional responses to an event or situation that is deeply distressing. These responses can continue to affect a person, even long after the event has passed. Anytime an event catches us off guard and leaves a distressing impression, it can be considered traumatic.
Traumatic experiences can include:
Acute trauma: These events usually happen once and might include car-accidents, death, natural disasters, etc.
Chronic trauma: These events involve prolonged exposure and might include physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, neglect, stress from combat, etc.
Complex trauma: These events are a combination multiple incidents over a long-time period and might include ongoing abuse or childhood trauma.
Vicarious Trauma: These events occur through witnessing another’s trauma and might include witnessing extreme violence, death, or injury.
Trauma can affect a person's emotional, mental, and physical well-being, and can manifest in various ways, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), flashbacks, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, and irritability.
What one person may find traumatic may not be the same for another person. Trauma can also can impact individuals differently and at different stages of their lives.
Trauma symptoms can vary widely depending on the individual and the nature of the traumatic event or events they experienced. However, here are some common symptoms of trauma:
Intrusive thoughts or memories: This can include recurrent, distressing thoughts about the traumatic event or images that intrude on a person's thoughts and interfere with their daily life.
Avoidance behavior: This can include avoiding people, places, or situations that may trigger memories of the traumatic event, or avoiding talking or thinking about the event altogether.
Hypervigilance: This is a state of heightened alertness and sensitivity to potential threats, which can lead to feelings of anxiety, agitation, or even panic.
Emotional dysregulation: Trauma can cause intense and overwhelming emotions such as anger, sadness, or fear, and individuals may find it difficult to regulate these emotions.
Negative self-perception: People who have experienced trauma may struggle with negative beliefs about themselves, including feelings of shame, guilt, or worthlessness.
Physical symptoms: Trauma can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, and sleep disturbances.
If you or someone you know is experiencing trauma symptoms, it may be helpful to receive support from a mental health professional. Learning more about the effects of trauma can be helpful during the recovery process. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on recommended therapy modalities to resolve trauma.
About the author: Sabrina Gelsinger-Rodorigo, LCSW, RYT-200 is a psychotherapist and yoga teacher who truly values holistic care. She supports women to overcome childhood trauma and embody the joy they long for. HHWS specializes in people pleasing, anxiety, and childhood wounds to help you heal from trauma, reparent your inner child, and embrace your authentic self.