Trauma is the psychological as well as the physiological response to an experience that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope. Two individuals can have the same event happen and respond differently. Specifically, trauma occurs when the nervous system becomes dysregulated and remains in a state of heightened activation or shutdown long after the event has passed.
Trauma can involve exposure to:
- Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
- Neglect or abandonment
- Medical trauma
- Sudden loss or grief
- Sudden change is financial status
- Divorce
- Chronic stress in unsafe environments
Trauma is less about what happened and more about the how the body and brain processed, or didn’t process the experience. Understanding trauma through a nervous system lens can reduce shame and highlights that trauma responses are survival mechanisms, not personal weakness.
How does trauma affect the brain and body? First, trauma is stored in the nervous system, not just in memory. When someone experiences trauma, the body prepares to fight, flee, freeze, or fawn. Over time, this survival wiring can remain “on”, even when there is no present danger or threat.
Common trauma responses include:
- Chronic anxiety
- Emotional numbness or dissociation
- Difficulty trusting others
- Feeling inadequate amongst others
- Perfectionism or people pleasing
- Shame or self blame.
If anything seems to resonate with you, know these are trauma responses depicting your nervous system working hard to protect you. With trauma informed therapy, those survival strategies can soften. Feelings of safety can begin, and it is possible to live with an increased sense of resilience, connection, and eventual joy.
