Trauma is a deeply personal and often distressing experience that can take many forms. Whether it’s emotional, physical, sexual, or psychological, the impacts of trauma are profound and wide-ranging. What’s less talked about, however, is how trauma can influence us in ways we may not even recognize until years later. Sometimes, the aftermath of trauma manifests in subtle ways, creeping into our daily lives, thoughts, and behaviors without us consciously realizing its presence. This is because trauma responses are not always immediate or overt—they can be insidious, affecting us on a deeper level and often hiding beneath the surface.
What is Trauma?
Before delving into how trauma responses can affect us, it’s important to define what trauma actually is. Trauma can result from a single event or repeated experiences of harm, neglect, or abuse that overwhelm our ability to cope at the time. It is not just the event itself but also how we process and internalize that experience. Trauma can reshape our worldview, influence our beliefs about ourselves and others, and even impact our physical health.
The concept of trauma usually involves catastrophic types of experiences, including accidents, natural disasters, or war. Yet, many times, this type of traumatic exposure occurs slowly, with lengthy exposure to circumstances that, over time, profoundly damage.
Complex trauma, in particular, is usually caused by situations that are ongoing, repetitive, or chronic in nature-such as child abuse or neglect-and which may leave the individual with lasting emotional and psychological scarring. These scars may not always be visible, and the responses can be so deeply ingrained into our lives that we are unaware of them until they become overwhelming.
Trauma responses are generally considered coping mechanisms that our brains and bodies develop in an attempt to protect us from overwhelming feelings and memories. The problem is that these responses can become so deeply ingrained that they continue to affect us long after the traumatic event has ended. The effects of trauma can show up in various ways, emotionally, physically, and behaviorally, and often we don’t recognize them as trauma responses. Instead, we may regard them as something that forms our personality or usual reactions to stressful situations.
The Body Keeps the Score: The Silent Language of Trauma
A very deep way trauma affects us is through our bodies. In some ways, “the body keeps the score” describes how trauma may be stored inside our bodies. Physical manifestations that include increased heart rate, stiff muscles, or even chronic pains could be different ways in which your body holds emotional experiences that have remained incomplete.
For example, someone who has experienced trauma may not notice at all how he or she holds tension in the shoulders or clenches his or her jaw throughout the day. These could be physical signs of their trauma, but without realizing a connection between discomfort with their body and their history, they may never seek out any resources to investigate it. In fact, survivors of trauma may often normalize these responses as a part of their everyday experiences and not consider that what they are feeling could have deeper roots.
Trauma Responses: The Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn Reactions
When we experience a traumatic event, our bodies and minds react instinctively, and these reactions are categorized into four main trauma responses: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. These are protective mechanisms our brain uses to cope with overwhelming stress. However, these responses can also manifest in ways that we may not immediately recognize as being linked to trauma.
Fight: This response is typically met with anger, irritability and aggression. At the slightest signs of threat, the individual immediately tries to defend themselves. Over time, individuals may become defensive, hypervigilant, or struggle with irritability in situations that don’t seem to warrant such responses.For example, someone who has experienced abuse may be on constant alert for signs of threat, even in a seemingly safe environment, triggering reactions that others might perceive as overreactions.
Flight: Flight responses are related to avoidance. Individuals may run away, divert their attention, or escape from their emotions, situations, or even relationships. They may keep themselves busy or isolate themselves from others as a way to avoid confronting their feelings. These ways of coping get ingrained and result in chronic avoidance behavior without understanding the underlying cause.
To illustrate, individuals who experienced childhood neglect may steer clear of close relationships or important commitments due to the simple fact that they associate something like intimacy with pain and rejection.
Freeze: This response involves feelings of paralysis in individuals, whereby they are unable to act or respond to situations where they would otherwise be expected to. This can manifest as indecision, difficulty moving forward, or a sense of emotional numbness. It can feel like a mental block, where the individual becomes stuck, unable to process their feelings or take action. A good example can be a situation where one suffers from a particular traumatic experience in life, after which one may not be able to get into decision-making or taking life into one’s own hands, despite the conscious desire to move forward.
Fawn: The fawn response is less discussed, though very common in trauma reactions, and relates to people-pleasing. It is generally what happens when one is trying to avoid conflict or harm by appeasing others, often at the expense of one’s own needs. This leads to self-sacrifice, suppression of emotions to keep the peace, sometimes even to the point of self-neglect. An individual who has been emotionally manipulated at some point in the past suppresses their feelings and needs, while constantly trying to please others or avoiding confrontations.
The Subtle Impact of Trauma Responses
While these trauma responses are adaptive during the time that they happen, they have enduring effects on mental health, relationships, and well-being. Here are several ways in which trauma responses manifest in lives without us even realizing it.
Difficulty in trusting others: Traumatic experiences, especially relational traumas, have often led many individuals to find difficulty in opening up and trusting others. This fear may be manifested by skepticism or suspicion; however, this usually stems from past experiences of betrayal, hurt, or disregard for one’s well-being. These responses may become so ingrained that they influence how a person interacts with people, even when the current situation or relationship does not warrant distrust.
Hypervigilance: Trauma survivors often become hypervigilant, constantly scanning their environment for danger. This response, though protective during times of crisis, becomes problematic when it is persistent. Hypervigilance can lead to chronic anxiety, poor sleep, and strained relationships. The individual may not even realize they are on high alert all the time because it has become their default mode of operating.
Difficulty with Emotional Regulation: Trauma generally affects the person’s ability to regulate their emotions. Survivors can be prone to mood swings, outbursts, or times of emotional numbness without knowing why they act in such a manner. These emotional changes are usually linked to unresolved trauma and can lead to relationship problems or feelings of shame.
Shame and Self-Criticism: Most survivors of trauma feel shame deep inside; the blame for what happened often falls on their shoulders. Further development from self-blame into self-criticism, low self-worth, and a lack of self-compassion might occur. Usually, what goes unnoticed is how these negative internal narratives shape one’s view of self and how they interact with the world.
Chronic Physical Issues: As mentioned, the body stores trauma, and this can lead to chronic physical conditions such as migraines, back pain, gastrointestinal issues, and more. These physical symptoms may not seem connected to trauma, especially if the individual hasn’t linked them to past experiences. Without realizing it, trauma may be manifesting through physical discomfort.
Healing and Awareness: A Path to Understanding
Recognizing that our trauma responses are influencing our lives can be a difficult yet liberating process. By becoming aware of how trauma shows up, we can begin the healing journey. Therapy, mindfulness, and self-compassion are key tools for processing and working through trauma responses. Understanding that trauma affects us in subtle ways can help us be kinder to ourselves and others, as we realize that these reactions are survival mechanisms, not inherent flaws.
While trauma responses are powerful and often protective in the short term, they don’t have to define us. By acknowledging their existence and working with them through therapy and other healing modalities, we can begin to break free from the cycle of trauma and live fuller, more connected lives. It’s important to remember that healing is a process, and being gentle with ourselves is a vital step in that journey.
Individualized Therapy Tailored to Your Needs
No two clients are treated the same in Awakened Path Counseling; each has different experiences, struggles, and goals. Our therapists take the time to get to know each client and establish a safe and supportive environment where individuals feel heard, understood, and empowered. Our team works with clients to find their path and ways to implement mutually developed, personalized treatment plans that address the client’s needs and goals for mental health, trauma, or working through life.
Final Thoughts
Therapists at Awakened Path Counseling offer a wide range of services designed to help individuals heal, grow, and live fulfilling lives. With a trauma-informed, compassionate approach, they guide clients through some of life’s toughest challenges, helping them develop the skills, insights, and resilience necessary to move forward. Whether you’re struggling with past trauma, mental health issues, or simply looking for guidance in your personal journey, therapists at Awakened Path Counseling are here to support you in finding a path toward healing and personal transformation.
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