The Trauma Effect

70% of adults in the U.S. have had some sort of traumatic event at least once in their lifetime. That is about 223.4 million people. More than 33% of youth exposed to community violence will experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a severe response to traumatic events. Trauma can affect an individual in many ways that can end up making that individual more vulnerable to developing mental health problems, PTSD disorder, and more. Trauma affects many parts of the daily life of an individual. Knowing these things and finding a way to cope or become more mentally stable is essential. If trauma is ignored there can be life-threatening consequences like physical health issues, self-harm, and potentially suicide, and one thing to note about trauma is that there is no age limit.

There are three main trauma factors: Acute, Chronic, and Complex trauma. Acute trauma is a result of just one single incident. Chronic trauma has a repeated cycle and has been prolonged, like domestic violence or other forms of abuse. Complex trauma is exposure to multiple traumatic events, which is often from an intrusive, interpersonal environment. Figuring out which category you fall into can help in your understanding of the effects that the specific trauma you have experienced may cause. Some individuals who have not properly identified their trauma may find ineffective ways to cope with their trauma, which may worsen the effects and lead to a higher risk of alcohol use, drugs, and self-harm.

Because the body is wired to go into survival mode, which is something we as humans have no control over, our bodies are designed to react and then respond.

Here are the different types of survival instincts:

●     Fight ~ fighting, being defensive, and protecting

●     Flight ~ running away, escaping

●     Freeze ~ being unable to move or make decisions

●     Fawn ~ trying to please or win over someone hurting you

●     Flop ~ becoming overwhelmed and unresponsive, feeling disconnected from your body (dissociating), and sometimes even fainting

Most of the time these reactions last for a short amount of time in response to a traumatic event. But it is these moments that stay with the individual and these events can bring panic attacks, nostalgia, distress, and many more.

Trauma and mental health are intertwined with each other, being that in many cases people with trauma experience mental health issues, and someone with mental health issues may be more likely to experience trauma. Trauma can dramatically change how a person processes things, reacts, and functions. Something to note is that trauma may lead to a multitude of mental health disorders like mood disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, personality disorders, or psychotic disorders including schizophrenia. Having trauma as a leading cause of mental health issues may make the burden of poor mental health an even heavier weight on an individual. This is why it is always important to seek help to be able to properly deal with the issues you are facing.

You are not alone. There are so many resources provided for people dealing with trauma to seek help today.

NIMH Helpline ~ 1-800-273-8255