Trauma can be defined as a response to an intensely stressful event or situation that can affect one’s physical and mental well-being. Extensive Trauma that is severe or occurs over many years can lead to a diagnosis of PTSD or C-PTSD (Complex PTSD). Some of the symptoms of trauma are anxiety, fear, the desire to avoid certain situations or, strangely, an inability to avoid certain situations, almost like a compulsion to expose oneself to a difficult situation. Physical illness, panic attacks, night terrors and nightmares are also symptoms of untreated trauma.
A beating, bullying, a serious physical fight, a car accident, physical or sexual abuse (as a child or adult) or the threat of any of these, with just one occurrence or when it occurs over a long period of time, are examples of trauma and complex trauma. Rejection by parents is also traumatic as are the fears of an adoptee who worries that he or she wasn’t good enough to be “kept.” Domestic violence is another common example of trauma that can lead to PTSD.
Most of us do not get through life without some trauma experiences. If we are fortunate, we have a parent or friend we can talk to and talk out our feelings of sadness and pain and the fear of the trauma continuing … and get relief. When the abuser is a parent, relative or spouse, we often don’t usually have the opportunity to resolve the feelings of fear, helplessness, anger or abandonment and they can grow within us. And if the abuser is part of the family, it is likely that the abuse will continue, sometimes for years.
The damage that a one-time or long-lasting abuse (trauma) does to our sense of ourselves, our stability or our feeling of safety, can be severe. Yet we don’t usually recognize the symptoms. Here is a list of possible symptoms that trauma and abuse can create:
People-pleasing
A lack of healthy boundaries
Choosing emotionally unavailable partners
Fear of talking out issues or disagreements
The failure to take responsibility for bad choices and act to leave a relationship
Recreating similar traumatic experiences
There are many ways to work with trauma including EMDR, Brain-Spotting, Ketamine-Assisted therapy to name a few of the more current ones. I use a form of Exposure Response Therapy and have found it can make a difference for clients who have had severe trauma including extended sexual abuse by relatives or strangers. It is also very useful for traumas like military experiences in Afghanistan and severe car accidents. The therapy can focus on improving communication skills and setting healthy boundaries.
If you want to explore trauma, schedule a free consultation here.