We have a sense sometimes that sexual trauma can’t occur except in the case of sexual assault or rape. In reality, sexual trauma can stem from many different experiences. In some cases, it may be related to bullying and harassment at school and at work—in others, it might result from abuse at home. But many people experience a kind of sexual trauma even when there is no overt violence or abuse in their lives.

A large number of people struggle with internalized shame over past encounters. It can be difficult to make sense of a bad sexual experience—even one with someone close to you, like a partner or significant other.

Biology of Sexual Trauma

Some of the most common types of sexual trauma are those we see most often portrayed in movies and on television. A boss making an unwanted pass at an employee. A group of high school or even middle school students targeting one of their peers with comments about her body, or making insinuations about her sexual activity.

Sexual Trauma impacts the body in much the same way as other types of trauma—a scary or threatening situation triggers the natural stress response, flooding the body with high levels of stress hormones like cortisol. In those circumstances, the brain enters fight-or-flight mode. As that happens, there are a series of physical responses: an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and a heightened sense of awareness. Additionally, there’s a change in how memories are formed during the traumatic experience and how those are stored. We think of stored memories as something we can verbalize; something that has a beginning, middle, and end. Often, sexual trauma can be stored as sensory or emotional and therefore becomes hard to verbalize.

The Fallout of Sexual Trauma

As a result of those physiological changes experienced during sexual trauma, there’s often a long-term fallout. Some people remain locked in fight-or-flight mode. Their brains stay locked into a state of hypervigilance—prone to anxiousness and quick to produce cortisol. In addition, those traumatic memories are sometimes triggered by sensory experiences that might not be obvious immediately.

An example of this might be a survivor of sexual assault who’s triggered by the smell of sweat after her attack—or someone who has panic attacks when someone calls for them to come into the office the way a handsy boss one did. It could be unrelated sensory elements that trigger the attack as well. A phone ringing in the background. Cars passing by. A particular sensation on the skin.

Everyone’s capacity for stress differs. Trauma is, at its root, a matter of perspective. An experience that is traumatic for one person may not be for another. One person may brush off a bad encounter, while another may dwell on it for weeks, months, or even years. This isn’t a personal failure or weakness but a physiological reality. It is, in many ways, math. Your body and your mind are intricately connected.

Symptoms of Sexual Trauma

Some of the physical symptoms you may experience as a result of sexual trauma include:

• Lack of Focus

• Disruption in Sleep Patterns

• Depression

• Social Anxiety

• Substance Abuse

• Isolation

• Muscle Aches/Pains

• Feelings of Nausea

While cortisol is enormously useful in helping humans survive scary encounters, prolonged exposure to high levels of stress hormone can seriously impact your physical health. It’s very possible you may not even understand what’s happening to your body—but it’s important to recognize those signs and address them if possible.

Getting Treatment

If you’re struggling with trauma, there are a number of proven, highly effective treatments. Brainspotting is my favorite and is truly geared toward helping individuals access, process, and release traumatic memories. There is a wide variety of skills, techniques, and tools available to help manage trauma and the feelings of stress and anxiety that come with it.

Reach out if you’re interested in learning more. Helping people manage the fallout of sexual trauma is one of my most rewarding things. It’s important to me to create a safe space for clients to decompress those painful experiences and feelings without judgment. I would love to help you heal through trauma therapy.