Trauma is an emotional and psychological response to a distressing or life-threatening experience. It can happen after a single event, such as the death of a friend, or after a series of disturbing events, like prolonged exposure to child abuse. What classifies as a “traumatic event,” however, is not always clear-cut. Everyone experiences trauma differently. Our responses to trauma are deeply personal.
Many people go on to live happy, healthy lives after experiencing a traumatic event, with little long-term effects. Others, however, struggle with the lasting, negative effects of trauma. These can disrupt their mental health, physical health, and emotional well-being.
Who is most impacted by trauma?
People of all walks of life can be affected by trauma. Both adults and children can experience trauma, but those who experience traumatic events early in life (and who don’t get support) are especially vulnerable to its long-term effects. For example, studies show that children who struggle with unresolved trauma have a high risk of developing mental health and substance use disorders later in life.
Traumatic events can include, but are not limited to, physical abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, neglect and abandonment, death, natural disaster, injury, illness, bullying, as well as verbal and emotional abuse.
Lacking a support system, having an existing mental health condition, or having a long history of traumatic experiences can make a person more vulnerable to the lasting effects of trauma. However, seeking therapy after a traumatic event can significantly reduce the duration of these effects. Research shows that some people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for example, recover within six months of developing symptoms.
What are the lasting effects of trauma?
The effects of trauma can feel like a heavy burden, lasting for months, years, or even decades depending on a person’s experience and support system. While everyone experiences trauma differently, it can disrupt a person’s ability to process emotions, regulate stress, form relationships, and love themselves. As cited by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), trauma can cause problems with behavioral health, mental health, substance use, and physical health conditions.
Let’s explore some of the possible effects of trauma below.
The Effects of Trauma on the Body:
Trauma can weigh heavily on the body, affecting how we feel physically. With built-up tension, plus a high level of adrenaline and stress hormones, people often experience the following physical effects of trauma:
- Headaches
- Body aches and pains
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Stomach aches and digestive issues
- Trouble eating (or changes in eating patterns)
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Excessive sweating and racing heart (commonly associated with panic attacks)
- Feeling shaky or jumpy, and easily startled
- Dizziness
- Self-medicating with drugs and alcohol
- Not keeping up with a healthy lifestyle, such as exercise, nutrition, regular health care, or safe sex
- Ongoing medical issues
In fact, national research has identified a “significant connection” between trauma and chronic health conditions. After experiencing a traumatic event, a person is more likely to develop chronic gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal, respiratory, and dermatological disorders.
The Effects of Trauma on the Brain:
Trauma and mental health are deeply connected, as traumatic events cause chemical reactions within the brain. When we feel stressed or threatened, cortisol and adrenaline are released in order to trigger our bodies’ survival response. While temporary for most people, these effects can continue long after the trauma happens, causing some people to remember and recount the traumatic event. This can cause constant hypervigilance and anxiety, panic attacks, distrust in people, self-doubt, and shame (to name a few). As explained by the National Institute of Mental Health, this neurological response can also cause:
- Anxiety
- Sadness
- Anger
- Difficult concentrating
- Continually thinking about the traumatic event
While these emotional and cognitive effects usually lessen over time, they can spiral into mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Symptoms of trauma-related mental health struggles often include the below:
- Re-experiencing the trauma through flashbacks and nightmares, which can involve physical symptoms like a racing heart
- Distressing and intrusive thoughts
- Avoidance of places, events, people, or objects that serve as reminders of the traumatic event
- Hyperarousal, with a likelihood to be easily startled
- Feeling tense, on guard, or on edge—general feeling of nervousness
- Having difficulty concentrating or remembering (especially as it relates to what happened)
- Feeling irritable, having outbursts of anger, or being easily upset
- Negative thoughts, particularly about oneself or the world
- Excessive self-blame and self-doubt
- Guilt and shame, as well as sadness
- Loss of interest in once-loved activities
- Detachment from family and friends, as well as avoidance of social events
- Struggle to feel joy, love, or satisfaction, often feeling numb and alone
- Inability to trust others, affecting relationships
- Feeling rejected or abandoned
- Suicidal thoughts
- Self-harm
Coping with the effects of trauma and getting help
The effects of trauma can be devastating, ultimately impacting one’s ability to live a happy, productive life. However, these effects do not need to last forever; they are treatable and manageable. Many people recover after a traumatic event and go on to lead fulfilling lives.
This comes with treatment and support.
After experiencing a traumatic event, seeking help from trusted family, friends, support groups, and/or professionals can make an incredible difference. Talking about one’s feelings and experiences can help them to process (and ultimately overcome) everything.
If you do not have somewhere to turn, and are dealing with the effects of trauma, consider speaking to a mental health professional. A provider who is specially trained in trauma-informed therapy can give you the safe space you need to process your experiences. Further, they can show you coping skills to deal with triggers and negative thought patterns. For many, professional therapy can also help mitigate challenges in relationships, re-build your self-confidence, and re-discover meaning and joy in life.
Turnbridge is a mental health treatment provider offering trauma-informed care plans to those in need. We are here for you if and when you need it most. Call us confidentially at 877-581-1793 to learn about our programs for young men and women.