When you hear the word trauma, you may think about one type—physical trauma. But there is another type of trauma which is not easily recognized by the naked eye—emotional trauma. The common misconception is that emotional trauma isn’t a physical injury, that diagnoses like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or acute stress disorder are specifically in the mind (as in, made up), or that because they affect our brains, they don’t affect the body in any measurable way.
Experts (as well as those suffering from emotional trauma) know there truly is a connection between the mind and body–in every experience–but especially after trauma. In fact, trauma causes physiological and biological changes, and is therefore a physical response to its most significant characteristic: a pervasive fear that alters one’s behavior. To break down trauma to its core, we must acknowledge that both the mind and the body can experience a variety of responses in the aftermath of a traumatic event.
Immediate Physical Response to Traumatic Event
Freeze, Fight, or Flight Response
Our sympathetic nervous system protects us in moments of trauma, and our physiology changes to prepare us to deal with the threat we’re facing. The adrenal gland, located on top of the kidneys, floods the system with adrenaline. Breathing increases, to bring more oxygen to our brains and improve function. Heart rate increases to bring blood to muscles that may need to run or fight. Blood moves to our core to protect vital organs. Senses are heightened, though the ability to feel pain is decreased, and concentration is focused to identify the threat and choose the best reaction: freeze, fight, or flight. In a typical reaction to an average scary/stressful experience, the body returns to its normal function, with no long-term effects.
Mental/Emotional Response
The range of emotional responses to trauma is immense and they depend so much on the individual and their history and personality. Some may report feeling numb, and exhibit disbelief and a separation of their mental experience from physical actions. Others may respond intensely—crying, reacting angrily, and becoming morose. To protect the brain from stress, they may sleep or isolate themselves from other stressful events, avoid media coverage of the traumatic event, or refuse to speak about their experience.
Long-term responses
In attempt to forget what happened, some survivors may isolate themselves from anything or anyone that reminds them of the event or become obsessed with actions that prevent them from thinking about the trauma. For example, some people will not walk past the site of a trauma, and may alter their lives to avoid the spot.
It’s common in our culture to expect others, and ourselves, to simply get over negative experiences. This is especially true of emotional and psychological trauma, which is often ignored in the aftermath, so we have an unrealistic picture of what emotional trauma really looks like. Given this lack of attention to the psychological impacts, it’s not a surprise that even survivors themselves feel that ignoring their thoughts, burying them deep inside, will help them go away. Experts understand this is the farthest thing from the truth. When we bury difficult experiences, they will eventually be revealed. Long-term physical conditions caused or exacerbated by trauma include:
- Anxiety (a precursor to other conditions and a condition on its own)
- High blood pressure
- Autoimmune disorders
- Heart disease
- Depression
- Smoking, drinking, or drug addiction
- Generalized body aches & pain (due to the constant state of tension)
Treatments for Trauma
Treating trauma requires looking at it as a whole-body issue. It’s crucial to get the body moving and functioning normally again. Treating mental health and emotional symptoms (like flashbacks or anxiety) is just one part of the picture, accomplished through therapies like talk therapy or trauma counseling. But trauma survivors can help themselves by regulating your own nervous system, through activities like mindfulness and breathing exercises. Physical exercise is critical to reduce the body’s fight or flight state, improve adrenal function, and help the mind redirect the focus away from internal thoughts. It’s also a very good idea to involve yourself as fully as possible in your life, through hobbies that can help rebuild confidence and focus the mind on learning something new, or friendships and social activities to build connections and avoid spending too much time alone.
The trauma triggers the brain and body to protect your life. For many people, it takes work, and months or years, to get things back to feeling better and living your best life. Just remember to focus your efforts on both your physical and emotional health.
Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash