When trauma goes untreated, it can impact all aspects of your life, manifesting in a variety of different ways.
Physical Symptoms
Trauma impacts the physical body by decreasing a sense of trust and safety, which increases fear and worry. Common symptoms include a racing heart, hyper-vigilance, exaggerated startle response, sleep difficulties, headaches, increased stress, change in appetite, low energy, and sexual dysfunction. Research also links trauma with physical health problems.
Emotional Symptoms
Trauma is at the root of some of the most painful emotional symptoms, including anxiety, fearfulness, and phobias, as well as worry and panic attacks. Depression, hopelessness, excessive guilt, and shame are very common. Feeling trapped, powerless, and inadequate, as well as struggling to overcome grief are also commonly symptoms of trauma.
Cognitive Symptoms
Trauma plays a major role in shaping your belief system and typically underlies negative thinking patterns. It’s not uncommon to also experience difficulties with concentration, memory, decision making, or to be easily distracted.
Spiritual Symptoms
Spirituality is a core component of human nature, which shapes and informs our sense of meaning, purpose, hope, and faith. It is a foundation, guide, and motivation for morality, personal growth, and service to others. Most people, whether they believe in a deity or not, believe that to be fully human involves more than simply the physical dimensions of existence.
Traumatic events are usually sudden, unexpected, and very frightening. They can cause us to feel unsafe, out of control, isolated, “damaged”, or “dirty”, and/or to lose trust in other people. It’s not surprising that traumatic events may also cause us to question the fundamental beliefs and assumptions that are connected to our deepest sense of meaning and purpose in life – to our spirituality.
Common spiritual symptoms of trauma include:
- Altered worldview – Your view of the world and how it works can change after exposure to a traumatic event. For example, trauma may cause you to question assumptions about the world – such as “bad things don’t happen to good people” – that you weren’t even fully aware that you held. If you have a faith, your relationship to God may be shaken.
- Troubling existential questions – Traumatic events can cause you to struggle with questions and issues related to suffering, evil, forgiveness, fairness, hope, justice, purpose, and divine order.
- A loss of a sense of meaning and coherence in life – Traumatic events often raise personal questions related to what life is all about and what’s really important to you. It’s not uncommon to doubt your deepest beliefs, feel empty, and/or feel that life has lost its meaning and coherence.
- A sense of discouragement and loss of hope – This can express itself through feelings of depression, painful questioning, and/or cynicism.
- Alienation and a loss of a sense of connection – You can feel isolated, or have a sense of being cut off from the connection you feel to the source of your deepest sense of meaning and purpose (whether that be God, nature, a life-force, or other people).
Self-Defeating Behaviours
Due to the uncomfortable symptoms that trauma creates, there can be a powerful attraction to mask these symptoms through addictive and compulsive behaviours with alcohol, drugs, food, sex, gambling, for example.
Trauma often occurs within the context of relationships (eg, abuse, rejection, humiliation, criticism, controlling behaviours) and these issues often get repeated, triggered, or played out in your intimate relationships. Common symptoms include arguments, conflict, and hostility; isolation and withdrawal; sexual problems, extreme fear of abandonment, and attempts to control others.
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
PTSD develops after a terrifying event in which physical harm occurred or was threatened. During the traumatic incident that caused the PTSD, the person experiences intense fear, a sense of helplessness, and horror. People suffering from PTSD typically startle easily, experience emotional numbing and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy, and struggle with insomnia, flashbacks, and nightmares. PTSD often occurs with anxiety, depression and substance abuse, and has been linked to physical health problems.
cPTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) encompasses a range of symptoms that can significantly impact an individual’s mental health and daily functioning. Unlike typical PTSD, which is usually triggered by a single traumatic event, CPTSD develops in response to prolonged exposure to trauma, often during childhood or over an extended period.
One prominent symptom of CPTSD is emotional dysregulation. Individuals may struggle to manage their emotions effectively, experiencing intense mood swings, anger outbursts, or feeling overwhelmed by emotions such as fear, sadness, or shame. This emotional instability can make it challenging to maintain stable relationships and navigate daily life.
Another hallmark of CPTSD is disturbances in self-perception. People with CPTSD may have a distorted or negative view of themselves, often stemming from feelings of worthlessness, shame, or guilt resulting from their past experiences. This can lead to low self-esteem, self-blame, and a pervasive sense of inadequacy, making it difficult to assert oneself or set boundaries in relationships.
Individuals with CPTSD often struggle with interpersonal difficulties, manifesting in problems with trust, intimacy, and forming healthy attachments. They may have a heightened sense of vigilance or distrust towards others, leading to social withdrawal or difficulties in forming and maintaining close relationships. This relational pattern can further exacerbate feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Additionally, CPTSD can manifest in cognitive impairments, such as difficulties with attention, concentration, and memory. This may result from chronic stress affecting the brain’s functioning and can interfere with work, academic performance, and everyday tasks. Individuals may also experience dissociative symptoms, such as depersonalisation or derealisation, where they feel disconnected from themselves or their surroundings as a coping mechanism to escape overwhelming emotions or memories.
Physical symptoms are also common in CPTSD, including sleep disturbances, chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, and other stress-related health problems. These physical manifestations further contribute to the overall distress and impairment experienced by individuals with CPTSD, affecting their quality of life and ability to function optimally.
The symptoms of CPTSD are pervasive and can significantly impact various aspects of an individual’s life, from their emotional well-being and relationships to their cognitive functioning and physical health.
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