Relationship trauma includes PTSD-like symptoms and includes feelings of anger and fear toward the abusive partner. Though abusive relationships leave long-lasting negative effects on partners, healing is possible through self-care, support, and professional help.
People with PTRS can experience a range of symptoms, including rage towards their former partner, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or nightmares of abusive experiences, changes in eating or sleeping habits, and extreme psychological distress when reminded of the trauma.
Traumatic experiences take time to heal. While the healing process is happening, it is common for your partner to be disconnected and distant as they struggle to articulate what is happening inside of them. Conflict can ensue as a result of miscommunication and misinterpretations.
Flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive memories are all examples of re-experiencing symptoms. Avoidance symptoms: Avoidance causes people to avoid situations, places, or people that remind them of their traumatic experience. Hyperarousal symptoms: These symptoms can make a person feel like they're always in danger.
Survivors with PTSD may feel distant from others and feel numb. They may have less interest in social or sexual activities. Because survivors feel irritable, on guard, jumpy, worried, or nervous, they may not be able to relax or be intimate. They may also feel an increased need to protect their loved ones.
Trauma bonds are bonds that commonly form as a result of abusive relationships. They are the surface-level feelings of attachment and intimacy that can result from an abusive cycle. In a trauma bond, partners think they have true love or connection even though the relationship is harmful.
5 signs of trauma bonding
Defensiveness, or making excuses to others for an abuser. Rationalizing or justifying an abuser's behaviors. Isolation from friends and family through manipulation and gaslighting. Self-blame, or believing the abuse is their own fault.
Or their emotions can flare up suddenly and intensely for little apparent reason, even to the person. Some trauma survivors seem unusually flat or numb. They may become needy or clingy.
Although the challenges may feel overwhelming, leaning on — and supporting — your partner through the process can lead to post-traumatic growth. There is light and love on the other side of trauma. Marriages can survive challenges, and become even stronger in their wake.
Most people are indeed entirely unaware that they are suffering from trauma at all. Many put their symptoms and negative experiences down to stress which is often vague and unhelpful, particularly when trying to get to the core of the problem.
Living through traumatic events may result in expectations of danger, betrayal, or potential harm within new or old relationships. Survivors may feel vulnerable and confused about what is safe, and therefore it may be difficult to trust others, even those whom they trusted in the past.
Emotional reactions to trauma can vary greatly and are significantly influenced by the individual's sociocultural history. Beyond the initial emotional reactions during the event, those most likely to surface include anger, fear, sadness, and shame.
Your Trust Issues Tend to Tank Intimacy
Past trauma can make it hard to trust. A lack of trust with a sexual partner is problematic in a variety of ways. First, simply being vulnerable is unlikely to occur without a measure of faith that the other person will not harm you physically, mentally, or emotionally.
Taking into account the causes of clinginess, it becomes clear that this behavior is often the result of attachment trauma – not receiving the closeness, comfort, and security a child needs to feel safe. This perceived lack of safety expresses itself in all areas of life, but especially in romantic relationships.
Women with PTSD may be more likely than men with PTSD to: Be easily startled. Have more trouble feeling emotions or feel numb. Avoid things that remind them of the trauma.
Avoidance symptoms may cause one to dissociate and neglect relationships. Hypervigilance can lead to sleep and concentration problems, which then can negatively affect one's relationships. A false sense of reality can completely take over one's life, including their relationships.
“Trauma dumping is the unfiltered sharing of strong emotions or upsetting experiences without permission from the listener.” When someone experiences any of the many types of trauma, they often feel overwhelmed and seek relief by sharing their story. Unfortunately, this can backfire.
Signs of Trauma Bonding
You agree with the reasons the abusive person outlines for why they treat you the way they do. You might try to cover for the domestic abuse experience because of feelings of attachment. If someone tries to help you, like your friends or family members, you might withdraw from them.
You can break a trauma bond after a breakup by doing things such as educating yourself on the topic of trauma bonding, cutting off your abuser, engaging in new activities, making healthy relationships, and taking a break from dating.
If you are dealing with issues or abuse in your relationship and think you may be in a trauma bond, know that it is possible to learn how to break out of it. Working with a therapist and reaching out to your support system can make a big difference in how you feel and what you can do next.