Managing and Learning to Heal From Trauma
Photo by Javier Allegue Barros via Unsplash
Chances are, you will experience at least one trauma in your lifetime. According to the World Mental Health Survey, 70% of adults have experienced some type of traumatic event. The most common forms of trauma are:
Witnessing death or serious injury
Unexpected death of a loved one
Being mugged
Being in a life-threatening automobile accident
Experiencing a natural disaster, like a hurricane or flood
Undergoing extreme financial difficulties
Experiencing sexual assault
Undergoing abuse or neglect in childhood
Being in an abusive relationship
Being exposed to war or terrorism
Experiencing a life-threatening illness or injury
While that statistic may sound alarming, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will inevitably be traumatized. In fact, less than 10% of people who experience trauma will develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. What’s important is how you cope with trauma and manage what comes next.
The Difference Between Stress & Trauma
Just think about all the life transitions that we face, the people we interact with, the places we’ve been, and the impact it has on the functioning of our brain, body, and mind. There may be stress that accompanies each individual experience. A healthy reaction to stress can be to pause, process, address, and move forward. But people respond differently to various stressful events in their lives, and emotional responses to stress are common.
Trauma is when there is a shock to our system, and sometimes we continuously experience the stressor – the brain is repeatedly in fight-flight-freeze mode, and the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. The nervous system isn’t always able to self-regulate or discern what is a realistic versus an unrealistic threat.
Experiencing the effects of trauma doesn’t mean something is wrong with you; instead, there is something wrong with the situation or your environment.
“Experiencing the effects of trauma doesn’t mean something is wrong with you; instead, there is something wrong with the situation or your environment. ”
Signs That You Are Experiencing Trauma
In my experience, I have noted unrecognized trauma symptoms in many of my adult patients dealing with chronic illnesses, partially due to a lack of understanding of how trauma manifests. When a patient is admitted to the hospital with obscure, acute symptoms, it understandably triggers a disruption to their pattern of daily functioning. The shock of the diagnosis is what’s known as acute trauma, and symptoms can show up continuously over a short period of time – anywhere from days to a month.
It can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between stress and trauma. Some specific signs that you are experiencing trauma and not just stress include:
Strong emotional reactions to triggers: Both stress and trauma can make you feel anxious, sad, or angry. However, trauma usually leads to stronger emotional responses. Trauma can also bring up emotional reactions like fear, feeling numb or shocked, and being unable to experience normal feelings like love and happiness.
Negative thoughts: Trauma-related negative thoughts can be intrusive and impact your daily functioning. You might experience negative views of yourself, the world, or other people. You may also experience feelings of shame, blame yourself for your trauma, or feel guilty.
Social withdrawal: If you’re feeling stressed, then social situations might not appeal to you due to feeling overwhelmed or tired. With trauma, you might experience stronger emotions around social situations. You might feel isolated, rejected, or abandoned, or you may just want to avoid people or places that remind you of the trauma you experienced.
Physical symptoms: Trauma can lead to chronic physical symptoms. You may experience insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, and body pain. While stress can also cause physical symptoms, these are more short-term.
Flashbacks: Chronic stress can lead to some flashbacks. However, trauma-related flashbacks are stronger and more vivid. It feels like you are truly there. Flashbacks to the traumatic event can feel as if it is happening to you over and over again.
Changes in appetite: Changes in eating habits with trauma can vary. You may have an increased or decreased appetite. Individuals with trauma might also develop disordered eating patterns, such as binge eating.
Memory problems: While both stress and trauma can impact memory, they do so in different ways. When you're stressed, recalling information can be hard. Trauma usually affects memory related to the traumatic event. You may have issues remembering the traumatic event or the time surrounding the traumatic event.
Healing from Trauma
Everybody responds to trauma differently. Some people are able to move on easily from a traumatic event. Others are more affected by their body’s response to trauma. This can be due to genetics or brain chemistry, as well as previous life experiences. The type of trauma that you experience can also be a factor. In general, ongoing trauma, such as abuse, can be more difficult to recover from than a singular event.
Recovery from trauma is possible for everyone. While psychological resiliency – confronting, coping, and adapting – is the end goal, the first step to recovering from trauma is simply identifying how it currently impacts your life and finding healthy ways to manage those stressors.
Identifying Your Trauma
Identifying your trauma is an important step. When you name your trauma, you are acknowledging it, rather than trying to minimize it or push it away. This can also help you understand how the trauma is impacting your thoughts and feelings, which is an important first step in healing.
Identifying Your Trauma Triggers
Trauma triggers can be either external or internal stimuli that remind you of your traumatic event. For example, a certain smell, noise, or place might remind you of the trauma. Or, a certain physical sensation, like muscle tension or shortness of breath, or a feeling, like anxiety, might be a trigger. To identify your trauma triggers:
Notice Your Reactions: Whenever you have a strong emotional reaction, take note of what is happening. This can help you identify what might be triggering your trauma reaction.
Journaling: Journaling can be a great way to work through your thoughts and feelings. This can help you identify any patterns that might help you recognize your trauma triggers.
Mindfulness: Mindfulness can help you learn to notice what is happening in your mind and body without judgment. This can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, which can help you identify triggers.
Seek professional help: Working with a therapist can help you uncover patterns about how your trauma experience is impacting your current thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Coping With Your Trauma
Coping strategies can help you manage the intense emotions that come with trauma. They include:
Relaxation techniques: Techniques like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation help your body release tension and stress.
Grounding: Grounding techniques, like using all five senses, can help you feel more present in the current moment.
Positive self-talk: Positive self-talk, such as reminding yourself that you are safe now and are experiencing a common response to trauma, can help break negative thought patterns.
Healing Your Trauma
Healing is a process, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Working with a therapist can help you create a plan that works for you. Components of this plan might include:
Learning about trauma: When you learn about how individuals respond to trauma, it can help you realize that you’re not alone in how you’re feeling. This can help to encourage self-compassion.
Building a strong support system: Having friends and family members who are able to support you can be helpful. Joining a support group can also help you connect with people who are experiencing something similar, leading to fewer feelings of isolation.
Practicing self-care: Introducing self-care habits like healthy eating, good sleep hygiene, and regular exercise can help make you more resilient in managing your trauma.
Express yourself: Expressing yourself through journaling or art can help you release your emotions, especially if you’re having difficulty talking about your feelings.
Learn More About How to Manage Trauma
A trauma-informed therapist can help you navigate how to manage trauma in your daily life. They might use a number of methods to help you do this, including:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): A type of therapy that uses bilateral movements, such as rapid side-to-side eye movements, to help process traumatic memories.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A type of talk therapy that explores the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In CBT, you’ll learn to identify negative thought and behavior patterns and introduce more helpful ones.
Cognitive-Processing Therapy (CPT): A specialized type of CBT that focuses on identifying negative beliefs about a trauma experience and how these impact an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CPT uses cognitive and behavioral techniques to challenge and change these negative beliefs.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): A type of therapy that focuses on regulating strong emotions. In DBT, you’ll learn skills like distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness.
How Trauma Shows Up: Identifying Stressors and Building Resilience
Trauma can show up in your life in unexpected ways. From how you respond to stressors, to how you relate to others, to your physical health, traumatic experiences can create a ripple effect in places you may not realize, especially if left unaddressed.
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