“Ongoing trauma denial causes more suffering than there needs to be. Although trauma survivors may learn how to suppress this unpleasant experience from their past, their body and mind will continue to carry it until the trauma is confronted,” says Mauro.
Not speaking about what happened does not make it go away, it continues the symptoms that are causing issues in your life. Breaking down the barrier and opening up about the event, takes away the power of the trauma and gives it back to you.
If not addressed, trauma can manifest in many ways such as difficulty sleeping, nightmares, flashbacks, avoiding triggers, unexplained headaches or body pains, mood swings, and depression. Other symptoms may include hypervigilance and an exaggerated startle response as well as feelings of guilt or shame.
Talking about the trauma can be important
Don't insist on talking if the person doesn't want to. They may need time to be alone with their thoughts. Tell them you are there to listen whenever they feel ready. Reassure them you care and want to understand as much as possible about what happened to them.
Talking about the traumatic memories with a trained therapist can provide the patient with education about their symptoms so they don't feel so alone and out of control.
To wrap things up, think and talk about trauma at your own pace. Studies on the technique of debriefing—or assisting people in processing their emotions just a few days after a potentially traumatic experience—have shown to be at best neutral and at worst may even lead to a greater chance of PTSD.
When somebody experiences a traumatic event, they're often supported by people in social work, legal and clinical contexts who ask them repeatedly to recount their personal stories. This retelling of these events can exacerbate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and potentially re-traumatize the person.
Face It (Don't Avoid It)
As tempting as it may be to try to ignore or forget a traumatic event, a key ingredient in recovery is learning to be OK with your memories of it and the things that trigger them without trying to avoid them.
“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.
Emotional Trauma Symptoms
Not everyone responds to trauma in exactly the same way, but here are some common signs: Cognitive Changes: Intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and flashbacks of the event, confusion, difficulty with memory and concentration, and mood swings.
Cognitive Signs of Unhealed Trauma
Furthermore, you may struggle with mood swings, as well as disorientation and confusion, which can make it challenging to perform daily tasks. You may also struggle with emotional difficulties, including: Overwhelming fears. Depression.
Unresolved trauma can lead to a build-up of toxic stress that continues to impact a person into adulthood. Many survivors will experience strong emotions, mood swings, and overwhelming stress.
Patients with a history of trauma may experience a wide range of symptoms. Some of these symptoms can be linked to chronic pain, and many can have an influence on pain levels. Trauma causes the nervous system to become overreactive, meaning that it is stuck in a state of stress and persistent arousal.
Below are a few common reasons why sharing a trauma may be hard: Fear of invalidation. Fear of judgment/victim-blaming/not being believed. Fear of reliving the details.
“Ongoing trauma denial causes more suffering than there needs to be. Although trauma survivors may learn how to suppress this unpleasant experience from their past, their body and mind will continue to carry it until the trauma is confronted,” says Mauro.
Trauma Blocking: Driven to Distract After a painful experience, some people may choose to face their feelings head-on while others would rather forget. The latter can manifest as trauma blocking, where someone chooses to block and drown out painful feelings that hang around after an ordeal.
Symptoms of Unresolved Trauma
Lack of trust and difficulty opening up to other people6. Dissociation and a persistent feeling of numbness7. Control issues, to overcompensate for feeling helpless during the traumatic incident8. Low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness9.
“Trauma is different for everyone,” Choi says. But two of the more common reactions, she says, are feeling very strong emotions or feeling little. “You might have overwhelming negative emotions or not be able to stop crying. On the other hand, you might feel numb and unable to experience pleasure or pain,” she says.
The crying can be a way for the nervous system to come down from the fight-or-flight response, since crying is associated with the parasympathetic nervous system which calms the mind and body. The sadness can also come from feeling overwhelmed by a world that feels terribly threatening.
Experiencing the effects of trauma can be disorienting, distressing, and lonely. You might look at your reactions and feel as though you are crazy. In the dictionary, trauma is defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience.
In fact, young children between the ages of 0 and 5 are the most vulnerable to the effects of trauma since their brains are still in the early formative years.
As a result, communicating with others becomes increasingly difficult for trauma survivors because they are protecting themselves from being hurt again. As well, they feel like danger lurks around the corner at all times. This is a common response for individuals who have survived traumatic experiences.
Smiling is a way to “protect” therapists.
By downplaying their pain they are attempting to minimize the upset they believe they are causing. Laughing while recounting something painful says, “I'm OK, you don't have to take care of me. ' Instead, clients are actually attempting to take care of their therapists.