Untreated trauma is one of the most pervasive and overlooked causes of suffering in our society.
Most often, trauma is seen as an overwhelming experience such as being assaulted or living through a motor vehicle accident – a one time event which was chaotic and even life threatening. This type of trauma is known as shock trauma, and can be deeply distressing for the individuals that survived it. If this is why you are seeking therapy, there are specific treatments that I utilize to help undo the impact of the event so you can regain your previous level of functioning, and start to feel more in control of your life.
While shock trauma can and does happen, the reality is that trauma also comes from other seemingly innocuous sources that do not appear traumatic on the surface. Accumulated stress for instance, is another category of trauma that is prevalent. Just living in an industrialized society and balancing the constant demands of work, finances, kids, partners, family, friends, and school can lead to traumatic reactions. These external obligations orbit around us at all times, demanding our attention. On top of that are the expectations and negative perceptions we have of ourselves which exacerbate the distress. All of this causes stress that we hold in our minds and bodies, and never really have the opportunity to release.
Another category of trauma is medical trauma – which can occur in chronic illness, complications during surgery when under anesthesia, and even during routine medical procedures where an individual felt overwhelmed or the body sensed it was in danger. Illnesses such as cancer where there are invasive medical procedures and major changes to the body can also put the body into a state of shock and fear. If this has happened to you, know that there is help available and that you are not alone in this journey.
Another category of trauma which is the most common in our society, is developmental trauma. This occurs from difficulties experienced before the age of five, such as in-utero trauma, premature birth, illness or infection at an early age, growing up in an unsupportive home, lack of safety and attunement by one’s caregivers and poor nutrition to name a few. This particular type of trauma can have significant consequences not only to the way people think and behave in the world, but also to the structural integrity of the brain and nervous system.
Despite the broad range of traumas that exist, underlying all of them is a sense of overwhelm and lack of control over one’s life. These events are interpreted, whether consciously or not, that one’s survival is at stake.
How does trauma show up?
Trauma presents as intense emotional reactions like rage, anger, fear and sadness. It shows up in our thoughts, as always expecting the worst to happen, holding contempt towards the self or others, hopelessness, catastrophizing or seeing the worst in every situation. Trauma also shows up somatically (in the body) via physiological reactions such as panic attacks, hyper-vigilance, disrupted sleep, irregular heart rate, impaired concentration, muscle soreness, involuntary muscle ticks and body pain. Finally, trauma impacts how we behave. It pulls us towards certain behaviours we know are unhealthy, such as binge drinking, over or under eating, self sabotage, engaging in risky sexual behaviours, etc. The intent, whether conscious or not, is to ease our distress – to lessen the uncomfortable emotions, body sensations and unrelenting thoughts that plague us every day. The problem is that these behaviours, while helpful temporarily, cause even more distress in the long term.
When we are unable to manage powerful or difficult emotions, when we are anxious or depressed, and when our body is constantly on high alert and/or is numbed out, we are experiencing trauma – or what is known in the scientific literature as being in a state of nervous system dysregulation. If you wonder why you are constantly over-reacting, nervous, hypersensitive or always “feeling raw”, trauma is the likely culprit.
What can therapy do?
In our work, I provide a map of trauma to give you clarity and understanding over your experience. I will explain exactly why these reactions are happening and the impact of this on your physiology. Luckily we are at a time where research in this topic is truly exploding, and you can be optimistic that the symptoms will dissipate and even disappear completely.