Understanding Psychological Effects of Trauma

What Is Trauma?

Trauma describes the high levels of psychological, emotional, and physical distress that a person experiences in response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event. A person who has been traumatized may find themselves overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness, a diminished sense of self, and/or an inability to cope with or feel a full range of emotions and experience

What Does “Traumatized” Mean? 

The term “traumatized” has become a commonplace blanket term in our culture to describe a wide variety of reactions to various unpleasant experiences. People use the term “traumatized” to describe everything from bad high school yearbook photos to finding a hair in their food. 

When someone is traumatized by an event that presents a real threat to a person’s physical safety or emotional wellbeing, however, the psychological effects extend far beyond temporary embarrassment or disgust. A traumatized person will often experience long-lasting effects that disrupt their daily life and ability to function.   

What Are the Three Types of Trauma? 

Psychologists distinguish between the three types of trauma based on the nature of what type of event or circumstance triggered it: 

Chronic Trauma

Chronic trauma results from distressing or harmful experiences or events that happened repeatedly over an extended period of time. These might include: 

• Bullying
• Neglect 
• Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
• Domestic violence
• Long-term serious illness
• Extreme situations, such as a war or combat

Unlike acute trauma, where symptoms usually present immediately following the event, chronic trauma symptoms may not come to the surface for some time—in some cases, even years after the event.

Acute Trauma

Acute trauma refers to trauma brought on from a single, isolated incident or event. Common examples of such events include rape, mass shootings, an accident, or a natural disaster wherein the event is extreme enough to threaten a person’s physical or emotional security. 

Even though the event may last as long as only a few minutes or even seconds, it creates a lasting impression in the person’s mind that may lead to any of the following: 

• Confusion
• Irritation
• Sleeping fitfully
• Inability to focus
• Lack of self-care or hygiene 
• Excessive anxiety or panic
• A seemingly unjustified lack of trust
• A feeling of disconnection from surroundings
• Aggressive behavior

While acute trauma has not been studied as extensively as chronic trauma, there is some evidence that conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a long-term effect of acute trauma.

When someone is traumatized by an event that presents a real threat to a person’s physical safety or emotional wellbeing, however, the psychological effects extend far beyond temporary embarrassment or disgust.

Complex Trauma

Complex trauma describes when someone has experienced exposure to multiple, varied traumatic events. Such events often tend to be invasive and/or interpersonal in nature.

Examples of events that foster complex trauma include:

• Neglect, abandonment, or abuse during childhood
• Living in areas of civil unrest with severe poverty or near a war zone 
• Slavery, torture, or kidnapping
• Sexual abuse or forced incestual relations 
• Prolonged exposure to violence or abuse in household 

Complex trauma affects a person’s daily life, as it alters their perception of themselves, their relationships, and the world around them.

Types of Childhood Trauma and Their Psychological Effects

Cognitive setbacks are not uncommon for those who experience childhood trauma. This can make it difficult to perform in school and connect with their peers. 

Anyone who experiences trauma later in life may still have similar psychological and physiological changes take place. Rather than at school, these difficulties may show up in the workplace or when accomplishing day-to-day responsibilities.

Examples of Childhood Trauma Symptoms

In addition to the traumatic experiences listed above under the three types of trauma, the death of a loved one is another event that can be particularly jarring for a child. Regardless of which type of childhood trauma a person experiences, the effects of that experience can show up while they are still young or even years later.

Kids tend to express some form of behavior change following exposure to trauma. Examples of trauma symptoms you may observe in a child include: 

• Unusual sadness or withdrawal 
• Sudden new fears
• Bedwetting 
• OCD behaviors 
• Separation anxiety
• A loss of interest in activities they enjoyed
• Nightmares, night terrors, or sleep disturbances
• Inability to concentrate
• Unexplainable anger or irritability
• Pains such as stomachaches, headaches, or any other physical ailments that seem to have no obvious explanation 

Examples of childhood trauma symptoms that appear in adulthood might look like: 

• Anger
• Avoidance
• Anxiety 
• Depression
• Problems with trust
• Reliving the event (flashbacks or nightmares)
• Self-destructive or risky behaviors
• Difficulty forming attachments or maintaining healthy relationships
• A tendency to form unhealthy relationships 

While it can develop in adulthood, complex trauma typically begins during childhood, during the time the brain is developing. When a child is traumatized, they often experience feelings of distrust and low self-worth throughout their life. 

As they grow, traumatized individuals may “act out” in aggressive, harmful, or disruptive ways as their body and brain is processing trauma. When this happens, victims of trauma do not necessarily know or understand why they do what they do. 

These actions can then lead to feelings of guilt or shame, which can bring about depression, anxiety, self-harm, and reclusivity. Furthermore, the lack of ability to connect with the world around them sometimes leads to coping with drugs and/or alcohol in an effort to temporarily alleviate these negative feelings. 

Can You Be Traumatized By Another Person’s Experiences? 

Yes; a person does not necessarily have to be the direct victim of a traumatic event in order to experience effects from it. There is an additional type of trauma called “secondary” or “vicarious” trauma. 

This type is usually the result of exposure to other people’s suffering. Secondary trauma most often affects those in professions where people are called into situations involving intense conflict or severe injury—specifically, physicians, first responders, and law enforcement. 

Over time, such individuals are at risk for “compassion fatigue,” whereby they avoid investing in other people emotionally in an attempt to protect themselves from experiencing distress.

How To Recover from Trauma

Trauma rarely affects only one area of a person’s life. The emotional, physical, and psychological effects of trauma can be both far-reaching and difficult to detect. This is why it is important to pursue healing through multiple avenues as well.

Trauma Counseling

Trauma can be healed, but it takes some specialized professional treatment. Sequoia offers trauma-informed care, which means that we understand the intricacies and nuanced effects trauma can have on a person as well as the diverse causes of it. Trauma-informed care is a treatment philosophy, but there are several different types of therapies, or modalities that therapists use.

• EMDR: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy is considered the gold standard of trauma counseling. It helps people re-frame how they remember the traumatic event, and allows them to recall it without distress
• Forward-Facing Trauma Therapy: FFTT has the same goal as EMDR of reducing distress. However, it uses relaxation techniques to help clients identify and mindfully react to triggers.
• Somatic-Based Therapy: This type of therapy works to resolve physical symptoms of trauma at the same time that physical and emotional symptoms.

Connect with Others 

There is a great deal of emphasis nowadays on taking some alone time for “self-care,” and this is valuable advice. However, healthy support in the form of a strong community makes a measurable difference in how a person handles mental health struggles. 

Trauma rarely affects only one area of a person’s life...This is why it is important to pursue healing through multiple avenues as well.

Not every traumatized person needs to become an extrovert in order to heal. The key is to strike a balance between refreshing solitude that does not sink into seclusion and social engagement that doesn’t become a distraction to avoid all unpleasant feelings.  

This balance will not look the same for everyone—there is no magic number of hours to spend alone or with people. Still, engaging with others can have a similar, if not more powerful healthy effect on the brain as exercise can. Activities like taking a class, joining a group trip or excursion, or learning a new hobby can be a great way to meet people with similar interests to you.  

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Seek Professional Guidance for Processing Trauma 

Friends and family can be a potent source of support. Sometimes, however, you will simply need the expertise, understanding, and sympathy of a professional counselor. Speaking to a therapist, psychiatrist, or counseling professional can give you the benefit of an educated, unbiased voice to help you process trauma. 

This can be one-on-one or in a group setting as well. Trauma treatment professionals and support groups can equip you with practical tools, and sometimes even shared experiences that help you develop healthy habits. 

Help Others 

One of the most powerful things you can do for yourself is to “do for others.” Especially for those who have been victims of trauma bonding, meeting the needs of others by the power of your own choice can help you lessen feelings of helplessness, learn (or re-learn) your own strengths, and find fulfilling ways to connect with others. 

Experience Trauma and Mental Health Treatment In Arizona

Whether or not we realize it, trauma plays a part in many of our lives and in the choices we make. Left untreated, it can contribute to countless problems: mental health disorders, dysfunctional relationships, substance abuse, and even physical pain. It is an invisible and devastating force.

At Sequoia Behavioral Health, you’ll experience integrated therapy that addresses your mental health symptoms and their root causes. The entire Sequoia support staff are Certified Trauma Support Specialists through the Arizona Trauma Institute, and we place a special emphasis on understanding and resolving trauma in our day-to-day programming.