What is trauma?

Trauma is an emotional reaction that persists for a long time following an incident that results in a great deal of physical and mental stress. Recovery from trauma is achievable with time and treatment, much like the healing process of a physical scar after a serious cut. It’s critical to keep in mind that suppressing or dismissing trauma symptoms isn’t a healthy coping mechanism; in fact, doing so may exacerbate the situation; more on that later.

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Sometimes after experiencing a traumatic experience, your mind retains the trauma reaction “at the ready” because it recalls how it felt. “Some people can’t recall traumatic events for many years,” Duke adds.

Trauma often impacts two areas of the brain:

Amygdala. This is the emotional center of your brain, and it controls your responses to both positive and negative situations as well as everything in between. Let’s just say that when trauma happens, it begins to do its function a bit too effectively. As a result, Duke says, “this area of the brain may become overly aroused and more hyper-vigilant to danger.” The amygdala functions as a type of protective center for all of us, working to prevent negative events from occurring. Because it is always searching for any kind of issue or threat, it may begin to sound false alarms.

the hippocampal region. Naturally, trauma is also linked to the area of your brain that retains memories. This occurs as a result of your brain recalling your feelings at the time of the traumatic incident. A memory of a traumatic incident may begin to feel as though it is taking place in the present because trauma affects the hippocampus, which causes your brain to struggle with separating the past from the present.

For this reason, even when there isn’t any actual threat, certain situations, also known as triggers, might cause a traumatic memory to resurface and for you to go into fight-or-flight mode. For instance, a soldier suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) may be reminded of their dread on the battlefield by the sound of an above jet. Or a storm survivor may have the same severe anxiety they did during that horrible event when they hear a loud boom of thunder.

Therefore, even if the trauma occurred in the past, it can still have an impact on your present by creating symptoms like despair, panic attacks, or difficulty carrying out daily activities. Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), which is brought on by repeated or protracted trauma over time, can also occur in certain people.

So, how can you both repair the emotional wounds left behind and identify the unpleasant moments? The first step is to label the emotion you are experiencing as trauma. It’s something that becomes a part of your story, not simply a little setback that you can get over or feel guilty about.

What effects do various forms of trauma have on you?

Trauma experienced by parents and children

Neglect, verbal abuse, or physical abuse throughout childhood can all result in childhood trauma. However, other factors, such as witnessing abuse, being in an accident when young, or growing up in a stressful family environment, may also come under this category.

According to Duke, “trauma tends to have a greater impact when it occurs at an earlier age.” Youngsters under the age of eight who have experienced trauma are particularly at risk. Trauma experienced as a youngster is likely to follow you into adulthood. However, if the warning signals are identified early, it is feasible to treat the trauma while you are still young.

Trauma related to sex

Probably the first kind of sexual trauma that springs to mind is sexual assault. Sexual trauma can also result from any exposure to aggressive, damaging, or improper sexual conduct. When you are unable to offer informed permission to a sexual act, sexual trauma often results.

Sexual trauma frequently results in PTSD, which can show up in your life as memory loss, anxiety-inducing triggers, and nightmares, much like other types of trauma. Depending on whether the sexual trauma was a one-time or continuous occurrence, as well as your age, your experience (and recovery process) will differ, Duke says.

She continues, “I’ve seen people who have flashbacks for a few months, and others who have them for years after that.” “It simply depends on a lot of different factors.”

Trauma in relationships

Trauma can also result from unhealthy relationships, particularly if there is abuse (either emotional or physical).

Romantic partnerships in which your partner didn’t respect your boundaries or an intermittent connection that left you feeling exhausted and perplexed can also lead to relationship trauma.

Duke says, “For instance, someone might be in a relationship where the dynamic is very manipulative.” “It might also be the result of betrayal of trust or gaslighting.”

According to her, “the effects of relationship trauma won’t be evident right away.” However, they may have an impact on how you view yourself and what you believe you are entitled to from potential love relationships.

Some people truly distance themselves from other relationships as a way to cope with relationship stress. Others react in the other way, hopping from one relationship to another and never wanting or being able to be alone.

Trauma related to religion

One of the primary ways we interact with people, both as children and as adults, is via community. Additionally, a typical location to find community is in religious groups. However, trauma can also happen if individuals you formerly trusted—like your religious community—become poisonous, aggressive, or manipulative. This is akin to relationship trauma. A particular belief system may also be utilized as a means of shame in a religious context.

“The desire to abandon a particular set of beliefs, practices, or a religious figure or group that is making the person feel manipulated or controlled in some way can result in religious trauma,” says Duke.

This kind of trauma may be particularly complex since it impacts the people you confide in and trust. You might be reluctant to make new friends and form a new group if you’ve escaped the trauma of a cult or a poisonous religious environment.

Duke adds, “You might also find it hard to tell what you can and cannot believe in.” “Some people may be extremely afraid of dying or getting punished, particularly if that’s the message they’ve been given all of their lives.”