What is Trauma: Understanding the Invisible Wound
We are so excited to offer a series of upcoming blog posts on trauma treatment. Ready? Cool - but hold up, we have to define what trauma actually is.
Defining Trauma: But Was It Really That Bad?
You've probably heard the term "trauma" tossed around, but you may not be sure what it actually means. Maybe all you know is that you've been struggling with intense emotions, negative self-beliefs, or unhealthy coping mechanisms – but you might question your own experiences, wondering if they're "traumatic enough" to warrant seeking help or using the word “trauma.”
So let's unpack the concept of trauma and shift the focus from the event itself to your experience of that event/s because what makes something traumatic is the impact - the lasting emotional and physical responses to an experience that overwhelmed your ability to cope, leaving you feeling unsafe, helpless, or out of control.
The key here is that trauma is subjective. What might be mildly stressful for one person could be deeply traumatic for another. It's all about how the event impacted you and your ability, at the time, to process it. And remember - kiddos are way more sensitive than healthy adults, and the threshold for “overwhelming” is way smaller for an infant, toddler, or child than it likely is for you now.
Types of Trauma: Beyond the Obvious
Trauma can come in many forms, not just war zones and car accidents. Here's a broader look:
Acute Trauma: A single, shocking event. Think car accidents, assaults, muggings, surgery, a natural disaster, etc.
Chronic Trauma: This involves repeated or prolonged exposure to stressful events, such as physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or bullying.
The Importance of Attachment/Developmental Trauma:
This type of trauma occurs in early childhood when a child's basic needs for safety, love, and connection are not adequately met by their caregivers. This can include:
Emotional Neglect: When a caregiver is emotionally unavailable, unresponsive, or dismissive of a child's feelings. Validating a child’s feelings isn’t a new, millennial way to parent - it’s what science has shown to actually increase resiliency, stress tolerance, safety, and confidence well into adulthood. This is, by far, what most of our clients at Juniper come in with.
Physical Neglect: When a caregiver fails to provide basic physical needs like food, shelter, or medical care.
Abuse: This includes physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.
The research on trauma and attachment repeatedly shows that when children feel unsafe and don’t have a healthy adult around to act as a buffer against the pain (or are themselves the cause of that pain), kids are more anxious, more depressed, do less well in school, and are more likely to develop eating disorders, substance use issues, and chronic health issues later in life. These folks also tend to struggle with a healthy sense of self, closeness in relationships, and tolerating daily stressors because developmental trauma literally rewires the brain (yes, even emotional abuse/neglect). Tldr; The impact of attachment/developmental trauma is profound and long-lasting.
PTSD vs. cPTSD:
Both PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and cPTSD (Complex PTSD) are mental health conditions that can develop after experiencing trauma. However, there's a key distinction:
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder): This diagnosis is typically applied to experiencing acute trauma. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance behaviors, and hypervigilance.
cPTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder): This diagnosis is often used for chronic or repeated trauma, particularly attachment/developmental trauma. Symptoms can overlap with PTSD, but may also include emotional dysregulation, difficulty with relationships, and a negative self-image. Unbelievably, the DSM-5-TR (the mental health diagnostic bible) does not recognize cPTSD. Luckily, the World Health Organization does.
Signs and Symptoms You’re Holding Trauma:
Symptoms of posttraumatic stress go beyond nightmares and flashbacks; trauma manifests emotionally, in the body, in our thoughts, and in our relationships. Here are some common signs:
Emotions: Anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, shame, flashbacks, emotional numbness
Thinking and Brain-Based Symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, memory problems, negative self-beliefs (think: intense inner critic), intrusive thoughts.
Behaviors: Avoiding reminders of the trauma, isolating oneself from others, substance use, self-harm, risky behaviors, impulsive and compulsive behaviors (retail therapy, binge watching, etc.). Basically, anything to get away from the bad feelings.
Body Symptoms: Fatigue, headaches, GI issues (IBS, anyone?), sleep problems (getting to sleep, staying asleep, waking up early, nightmares), hypervigilance (a sense of being on edge, scanning for danger).
It's important to note these signs can also be related to other mental health or physical health conditions. If you're experiencing these symptoms, it's crucial to seek professional help for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Therapy for cPTSD:
If you suspect you're experiencing the effects of trauma, know this: you're not alone. 70 percent of people experience a traumatic event in their lifetime, and our estimates are much higher because those numbers often don’t include attachment wounds in childhood (ie emotional neglect).
Even if you think you should be “over it by now,” know that your body and brain are designed to keep you safe, and they don’t have the same timeline as your logical brain – people often struggle with PTSD/cPTSD for decades! Regardless of the specific event or how long ago it occurred, here are some steps you can take:
Educate yourself: Learning about different types of trauma can help you understand your experiences and feelings. A good therapist will educate you on the impact of trauma on the brain and body to help normalize your experience.
Seek professional help: A therapist specializing in trauma can provide support and guidance through trauma therapy. This might include modalities like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) or IFS (Internal Family Systems) to help you process and heal. Talking can help, but trauma isn’t stored with speech centers of the brain, so there may be limited healing benefit with just telling the story of the trauma.
Build a support system: Surround yourself with caring and understanding people. Attuned and compassionate friends and family can help us co-regulate, so we feel safer. Hugs from safe people are great, too!
Practice self-care: Prioritize activities that promote your physical and emotional well-being. Nature, especially, is shown to be soothing and regulating.
Remember, healing from trauma is a journey, not a destination. Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress, no matter how “small” you think it is. With support and self-compassion, you can find peace and safety in your own body and mind – no matter how out of reach that might feel right now.
If you’re looking for cPTSD therapy online, California online therapy, Bay Area therapy, a therapist for attachment issues, or are interested in learning more about how trauma-focused therapy can help you, schedule a free consultation today.
Please note: This blog post is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional therapy, which by the way, we do offer. Learn more about our approach here.
