The concept of trauma has been popularized in the media. It’s a buzzword for articles and documentaries that instantaneously command our attention and engagement. We obsess over celebrities’ trauma, dissect the early childhood trauma of killers, and inquire about our own. Through its excessive publicization, the meaning of trauma has been convoluted. This leaves many wondering, what is trauma really?
Trauma is not merely an upsetting, unpleasant, or uncomfortable event. It is the utmost of extremities. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the official dictionary for categorizing mental health conditions, suggests that trauma is “ actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.” However, the manual states that trauma is not exclusively linked to this definition. Truama can arise from a host of situations; two of the most common are Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) induced by military service and sexual abuse cases with young children. Trauma can arise from both a one-off event, like physical violence, or a long-term pattern, like domestic abuse.
Trauma isn’t something that is experienced by an individual once and forgotten about. Oftentimes, the effects linger long after, causing a plethora of trauma responses. These trauma responses are ways the mind makes sense of and deals with the onset of a traumatic event.
- The Acquisition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
One of the most widely known examples of trauma is the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also referred to as PTSD. It’s portrayed in movies and books as veterans being plagued with vivid memories and images long after deployment. While combat induced PTSD is very common, it is important to note that the disorder can arise from any other form of traumatic events.
To be classified as PTSD, symptoms must persist for over a month and interfere with everyday life. There are four categories of PTSD symptoms, and somebody must experience examples of all of them to be eligible for a diagnosis. These include re-experiencing the event (sometimes in the form of flashbacks or nightmares), negative impact on mood, avoidant behaviors, and heightened reactivity.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is experienced differently based on the individual. Children tend to undergo different symptoms. This can be in the form of bed wetting, sudden loss of speech, and repetition of the event during playtime. Adolescents react with disruptive and often disobedient behaviors. There is another form of the condition, called Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, that applies to cases when the abuse was long-lasting.
- Feeling a Heavy Guilt
Trauma can leave people blaming themselves. They may experience excessive guilt and beat themselves up for not preventing the trauma, especially if their experience involved many other people. They torment themselves with questions and degrading statements. Would this have still happened if I were more careful? Should I have behaved differently? Why did this have to happen to me? It’s all my fault! I am to blame.
While this pattern of thought may seem obviously false to an observer, it is extremely convincing to those who underwent the traumatic experience. This self-blame can become so toxic that it lowers self-esteem and causes problems with self-identification.
This cycle of guilt occurs as a way for the mind to process the event and assign it meaning. It’s much more terrifying when something like that happens unexpectedly and without a reason, so our brains cling to this meaning, even if it causes psychological pain.
- Development of Other Mental Health Disorders
Trauma manifests as many negative emotions within someone. It can leave people feeling scared and helpless. Often, individuals who experience trauma tend to isolate themselves out of the fear of another disturbing event. They may withdraw socially, physically, or both.
All of these symptoms, in addition to the trauma of the event itself, can lead to the acquisition of other mental health conditions. Trauma is most frequently found to cohabitate with forms of anxiety and depression. People may develop anxious habits of overthinking and panicking that align with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) or periods of intense sadness that contribute to Major Depressive Disorder.
The symptoms that arise from trauma are able to be treated through ongoing mental health care. This care can be in the form of Cognitive behavioral therapy and sometimes in combination with medication management.
- Inability to Cope with and Manage Emotions
The emotions of trauma are heavy. Whether it be PTSD or intense guilt, these symptoms can easily become overwhelming. Oftentimes, people in the aftermath of trauma do not know how to cope with the way they feel, as it can be a very large burden to carry.
This inability to manage emotions can cause a host of behavioral reactions. While the individual responses may vary, they all have the same reasoning. They demonstrate an unhealthy way of coping with intense emotions.
Some specific examples are outbursts at loved ones or self-isolation. Sometimes it’s even both cases. Many people can develop unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as self-pity and denial. Another common coping mechanism is substance abuse.
- Issues with Substance Abuse
Substance use disorder is heavily correlated with PTSD and other trauma-related symptoms. People undergoing these negative experiences use substances to cope. It’s a form of escapism, which, while rewarding in the short term, can have horrible consequences.
Sometimes people use alcohol because it’s something they are familiar with. Their once recreational and safe use can all too quickly become dangerous. In other cases, people seek out new substances after the trauma with the sole intention of coping.
The development of substance use disorder, like other disorders, can be treated. By seeking therapy, individuals can experience relief from substance abuse. In some cases individuals may require medication assisted treatment (MAT).
- Experiencing Nightmares and Flashbacks
One of the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is re-experiencing the event. This can happen in many different ways. One such example is through flashbacks. Flashbacks occur when a person suddenly experiences the traumatic event once more. Although it is all in their mind, the situation feels completely real and immerses them entirely. It’s often triggered by a similar stimulus as to what was present during the acquisition of the trauma. For a veteran, this can be hearing a firework at a Fourth of July party. The sound of the fireworks mimics a gunshot, and suddenly, they are on the battlefield again, no matter how long it’s been.
Another common way of reliving the event is through nightmares. Nightmares can be frequent and disturb typical sleep patterns. They typically result in poor quality sleep or lost sleep altogether. It may keep people awake into late hours of the night or even cause them to avoid sleep. In all cases, it is unpleasant. This symptom is yet another way that the body processes the event.
- Difficulty Avoiding the Thought of the Traumatic Event
Have you ever had a song stuck on repeat in your head? It loops over and over again, driving you wild, but you feel like there’s nothing you can do to escape it. This is how trauma victims often feel. Their thoughts hyperfixate on the event. They cannot get it out of their mind no matter how much conscious effort they put into it.
This phenomenon isn’t just something specific to victims of trauma. It’s an issue experienced by anyone trying to avoid the thought of something, whether it be a traumatic event or just the thought of a deadline looming in the distance. This is known in the psychological community as ironic processing. It’s the concept that trying to suppress a thought actually has the inverse effect and leads to experiencing it more.
This inability to avoid a thought is common and typically occurs when the brain processes information. However, in cases of trauma, it is particularly painful to endure.
- Heightened Nervous System
Individuals who experience trauma may be on constant alert. They are always on the lookout for another potential threat. The alarm bells in their mind often go off. This can lead to many false alarms, where they misinterpret what is happening around them and believe they are threatened once more. This can lead to violent flashbacks, as previously mentioned.
This hyperactive nervous system is a result of the trauma. It is their brain trying to keep itself safe, not knowing it already is. This occurrence can have negative effects on mood and behavior.
- Relationships Begin to Suffer
Whether it be an intimate relationship with a partner, a close bond with a friend, or familial ties, our relationships with others are our liferafts. We cling to them for support and love, especially when our life’s ocean becomes turbulent. Unfortunately, trauma can cause fractures in people’s relationships.
The effect of trauma is not just felt by the individual who experienced it, but also by their loved ones. People who know others who experience trauma report “tiptoeing” around them in the hopes of avoiding triggering them. They also say that they repress their own emotional needs and wants to deal with the other person’s baggage. This can be taxing and pay a heavy toll on relationships.
- Body Stores Trauma Long After Healing
A study of Oklahoma City Bombing victims revealed a shocking fact about trauma. Long after the traumatic event occurred, their bodies still held onto the fear. Their biological markers of stress remained high, years later. The most surprising fact of all is that this happens even if psychological symptoms wane.
Storage and encoding of the trauma is revealed through bodily processes like blood pressure. It demonstrated the truly long-lasting effect that trauma has and raises questions about the success of various treatment methods. Scientists do not yet know why this trauma response actually occurs.
