In fact, you could be holding onto emotional trauma that stems from an experience you considered pretty normal.
Instead, trauma happens when trust and safety are threatened or eroded.
What is emotional trauma?
Trauma is almost always sparked by a disruption in safety or trust pertaining to yourself or others.
Its when someone fears their own feelings or gets triggered into a trauma response by their own emotions.
This can create all of the same symptoms we may associate with other forms of trauma, she says.
licensed clinical social worker and director of trauma and family wellness at The Last Resort Recovery Center in Austin, Texas
Anything that makes someone experience an overwhelming and distressing emotion can cause emotional trauma, Amorosi says.
Unfortunately, this is a natural part of the human experience, Dr. Joyriel says.
However, it becomes trauma when there is a failure to properly repair those events (aka ruptures).
Emotional trauma, specifically, seems to fall in general themes related to interpersonal dynamics, adds Dr. Joyriel.
), she says.
Examples of emotional trauma
Many different things can cause emotional trauma under the right circumstances.
You may feel numb or disconnected from your feelings but experience emotionally intense dreams or nightmares when you sleep.
Your own feelings could trigger things like flashbacks or shame, or cause you to be easily overwhelmed.
Trauma doesnt just affect the mind.
licensed clinical social worker and director of trauma and family wellness at The Last Resort Recovery Center in Austin, Texas
It often manifests in the body physically, Sefcik says.
In fact, theres asignificant connectionbetween trauma, including adverse childhood experiences and chronic health conditions.
Youve likely heard the term unresolved trauma before; but what does it mean, exactly?
People with emotional trauma are in constant pursuit of relief, numbness, and distraction from their challenging emotions.
This can lead to self-harm, substance use, addictive behaviors, and disordered eating behaviors, Amorosi says.
Signs of emotional trauma in adults
How do you know if youre emotionally traumatized?
What is The Missionary Sex Position?
When you are unable to navigate ruptures or conflict, there is something more there, Dr. Joyriel says.
Heres what to look out for.
You experience intense anxiety or panic attacks.
One significant sign of emotional trauma is persistent anxiety or panic attacks, Sefcik says.
You have frequent flashbacks.
Flashbacks and intrusive memories are common in those dealing with emotional trauma, Sefcik says.
This is particularly common for people who experienced events like combat, natural disasters, or severe accidents.
You feel emotionally numband make an effort to keep it that way.
People might describe feeling shut down or like theyre going through life on autopilot.
For example, to avoid feelings, you may avoid intimacy or closeness with other people.
You feel depressed or hopeless.
Depression and hopelessness are also frequent companions of emotional trauma, Sefcik says.
These feelings can be compounded by the traumas impact on their self-esteem and sense of safety in the world.
Youre hypervigilant.
This heightened state of alertness can make everyday environments feel threatening and exhausting.
Youre engaging in self-destructive behavior.
That awareness a great sign, and the first step in learninghow to heal from trauma.
If you lack a feeling of safety and trust in certain areas, thats a great place to start.
Here are some tools that can help you recover from emotional trauma.
Working through trauma should almost always be done in the safe container of trauma therapy, Amorosi says.
A licensed mental health professional can help you navigate your emotional trauma more effectively.
Get in touch with your emotions.
Reconnect with your body.
Somatic therapy, a treatment method that involves the physical body in mental health healing, can help.
(For example, one pop in of somatic therapy is the practice ofreleasing trauma through shaking.)
Thereslimited research3on somatic therapys efficacy in regards to healing trauma, but early research is promising.
Pursue joy and build up your support system.
Whens the last time you actively pursued sources of joy?
A helpful part of working through trauma is improving access to positive or healthy emotions, Amorosi says.
We need to see ourselves reflected back to us from others in a healthy and validating way.
Its crucial to seek help when the trauma starts to interfere with daily life and wellbeing, Sefcik says.
You dont need to wait for things to get really bad before you get care.
Support groups and community resources can also provide valuable assistance and connection, Sefcik says.
Kuhfu, Marie et al.
Somatic experiencing effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review.European journal of psychotraumatologyvol.
…
Got it, you’ve been added to our email list.
