As a therapist I frequently work with clients who are struggling to work through past trauma without really understanding the effect it’s had on their bodies. Many feel guilty and ashamed that they can’t just “get over it” or “move on” from what happened—but the reality of trauma is that it’s far more complex than that.

Trauma is a shapeshifter. It can come in different forms, and it isn’t always flashy. It could be a one-time event like a bad car accident or the death of a loved one, or it could be prolonged over a longer period of time—bullying at school, or an abusive parent. It’s also subjective. What is traumatic for one person might not be for another. That isn’t a matter of mental fortitude, it’s a matter of physical capacities. Our bodies are all unique, and everyone’s capacity for stress is different.

Regardless, the impact trauma has on the body is long-lasting and significant. The stories of our trauma are written into our flesh. It quite literally changes the chemistry of our bodies, and the development of our brains.

Trauma & Survival

Our bodies are complex, wonderful creations. They’re built to survive and adapt in even the most inhospitable environments. When we exercise, our muscles stretch, tear, and repair—preparing for the next challenge without any effort on our part. When we undergo a traumatic experience, a similar process takes place.

Faced with a threat, our bodies kick into fight-or-flight mode. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline flood our body, preparing us to confront danger. Our blood pressure spikes, and our heart rate increases. It’s a survival mechanism that God fearfully and wonderfully made us with. We are finely tuned for spotting predators and threats—but in this modern world, it’s as likely to be triggered by the life-or-death of a car accident or even threatening encounters with a bully at school or work.

Prolonged exposure to stress can leave our bodies locked on high alert. Similar to the way our muscles tear and knit to get ready for the next challenge, our brains go into readiness mode, and that fight-or-flight response can become easier to trigger. While cortisol and adrenaline are incredible in the short term, they also impact our long-term health.

Physical Changes

Stress impacts the brain in strange ways. High stress levels and adrenaline can impact the development of the amygdala and hippocampus. They also suppress our immune system and increase our risk of chronic diseases.

Some of the ways past trauma may continue to impact your physical health include:

• Fatigue

• Muscle Pain

• Nausea

• Migraines

• Insomnia

In addition to those, prolonged exposure to stress and trauma correlates closely to diabetes, obesity, and risk of stroke. High levels of stress hormone in your system produces short-term gains at the expense of long-term health.

Mental & Emotional Impacts

Because trauma impacts the development of the amygdala and hippocampus, it also has an effect on how we perceive and interact with the world around us. The hippocampus is involved with memory and learning, while the amygdala is responsible for processing emotions and the storage of traumatic memories.

Some of the long-term effects of trauma on mental awareness and performance may include:

• Inability to Focus

• Feelings of Burnout

• Emotional Numbness

• Memory Problems

• Social Anxiety

• Depression

• Angry Outbursts

Whether your traumatic experiences occurred recently or in the past, the effects of those traumas linger and remain in the body, coloring how you perceive and interact with the world. In addition to those symptoms listed above, people often cope with addictions such as drugs, unhealthy eating, codependency, alcoholism, sexual pleasures, and shopping, all with an effort to self-medicate.

For many, addictions are a temporary fix to the deeper problem of lingering trauma. For many, the addictions are easier to release when the trauma has been processed in counseling.

Next Steps

Tackling trauma is difficult but not impossible. There are effective techniques to help heal the brain and release that fight-or-flight mode. If you’re interested in learning how trauma therapy may be effective, please don’t hesitate to reach out.