Your mind is the core of your body that helps regulate every process with your body. As important as it is, this organ is also quite delicate. So, it requires special care. Bad experiences leave a mark on our brains, which can hold onto them for a long time. The same is the case with good experiences. However, when faced with an extreme experience ranging from physical abuse to emotional abuse, your brain can hold on to the memories, leaving the victim in a state of Trauma. This state of trauma can vary from person to person, depending on the nature of the Trauma event. We will briefly discuss Trauma and how trauma therapy can help in recovering from adverse life experiences.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is the emotional response that leads to physical and mental stress in response to highly stressful events that occur in a person’s life. Not all events are trauma-inducing, but some events that leave a person in a vulnerable mental state often cause Trauma.

Trauma can lead to the inability to live life like a normal person, as the person who experiences Trauma is not healed and is always in a vulnerable state. It hinders the ability to perceive things as they are.

What Causes Trauma?

Any physical or mentally abusive event can lead to the development of Trauma in the human brain and nervous system. Once you are traumatized, your mind holds on to the memories way too strongly and once triggered, you live through the same pain every time whenever anything stressful occurs, making it a hell of an experience.

The Scientific One

Scientifically, two parts of the brain are responsible for the state of Trauma. The amygdala is part of the brain’s emotional centre and your reaction to emotions. It becomes hyperactive when one is traumatized. The second is the hippocampus, which holds all your memories. It holds onto your bad memories and does not allow you to release them to protect you.

What are the Symptoms of Trauma?

Whether you are experiencing Trauma or not, there are tell-tale signs. The severity of these symptoms depends upon the intensity of the abnormal event that you went through. One thing to be noted here is that while experiencing Trauma, you undergo many different emotions.

Hence, you cannot function or act normally, which is normal, and you should not judge yourself for it.

Psychological Symptoms of Trauma

The following are the psychological symptoms or effects of Trauma:

• Fear, anxiety, shock, and
• You feel
• You feel
• You feel guilty and blame yourself for whatever
• You find yourself
• You start to distance yourself from
• You get terrible mood
• Physical Symptoms
• The physical symptoms include:
• Having fever and aches over your
• Feeling
• Lack of focus on
• Getting frequent
• Lack of sleep (insomnia).
• High heart

Does Trauma Affect Everyone the Same?

Trauma or traumatic experiences don’t affect everyone the same. Some people get over the Trauma by themselves without needing to try much. They aren’t affected by the Trauma that much. On the other hand, some people can’t function normally due to Trauma.

They have difficulty performing daily tasks and try to avoid anything that brings back memories. Individuals experiencing this discomfort end up isolating themselves and distancing themselves from everyone. So, how everyone reacts to Trauma is different.

The Concept of Big Traumas and Small Traumas

Traumas are generally divided into big T and small T. Big T events are severe and extreme. Small T events are also severe but not that extreme. However, remember that any event from a small T can hurt the person going through it even more than another person going through a big T event, so these should not be taken as a reference point.

Big T

Some of the Events that are considered a part of Big T are:

• Facing a car
• Death of a parent or a
• Any violent terrorist event, such as a school
• Natural

Small T

Some of the events that are part of Small T are:

• Losing a job
• Getting Bullied
• Rejection
• Divorce or breakup
• Death of a pet

Types of Trauma

Now, let’s discuss briefly the different types of Trauma that are the most common.

● Childhood And Parental Trauma

Childhood and parental trauma is one of the significant types of Trauma that leaves a deep scar on the human mind that can take a long time to heal.

This type of Trauma occurs either from physical or emotional abuse due to the neglect of the parents or facing a tragedy in the childhood stage of life. This type of Trauma can lead to addictions, risky behaviours, self-harm, suicidal ideation and low self-esteem.

● Sexual Trauma

This type of Trauma occurs due to undergoing sexual violence or harassment of any form. Sexual Trauma can cause PTSD and an inability to lead a normal sexual life with your partner, which can overall lead to difficulties in maintaining relationships. Sexual Trauma can lead to unhealthy habits such as substance addiction and eating disorders.

● Religious Trauma

Religious Trauma can occur when the religious group you spend your life with suddenly starts to turn against you or you feel controlled or manipulated by them in any way. Often, in such settings, if a person makes a mistake, the others react badly by instilling shame or guilt, making the trust of the person going through the Trauma fade. This Trauma is difficult to believe in as you lose your faith.

● Relationship Trauma

Relationship trauma can occur when a relationship is toxic and abusive, either physically or mentally. Romantic relationships can also induce severe Trauma if the other party breaks your trust.

In this type of Trauma, you end up feeling betrayed and find it difficult to trust, leading to problems in future relationships. People facing relationship trauma either jump from one relationship to another to satisfy their need to be wanted or isolate themselves from everyone.

How to Heal from Trauma?

Healing from Trauma is possible. You can experience corrective relationships and learn various techniques that can help you get relief from your Trauma. Although completely getting rid of Trauma is not possible, through positive connections and proper techniques, you can better manage your Trauma.

The Role of Therapy in Trauma Recovery

Therapy is an effective way to heal from Trauma. Although it is not necessary to visit a therapist to get rid of the Trauma, it is highly recommended that you do so to help facilitate the recovery process. Therapists are trained individuals who specialize in improving mental health.

What Are the Benefits of Trauma Therapy?

The following are the benefits of trauma therapy in Trauma recovery.

● Improved Emotional Regulation

Therapists help you develop the capacity to manage and regulate your emotions under stressful conditions, which allows you to deal with your Trauma better.

● Improved Relationships

Therapists provide insights that help you make better relationships and techniques to improve your already existing relationships.

● Improved Self Esteem

The therapist listens to you and guides you. They show you your true potential, which helps improve your self-esteem.

● Reduction in the Chances of Developing Depression or PTSD

Trauma therapists are experts when it comes to mental health, and when you visit them, they can stop you from falling into depression or developing PTSD.

● Greater Self Awareness

Therapists talk to you, ask questions during trauma therapy and get to know you better. These questions can reveal more about you, raising your self-awareness.

●  Reduction in PTSD

If you have PTSD, through special therapies, a therapist can help provide relief of PTSD and help you deal with it better.

How Does A Therapist Help in Trauma Recovery?

A therapist helps in the following ways in trauma recovery.

●  A Safe Environment

A therapist provides a calm and safe environment that is comfortable for the client so that they can openly communicate their feelings.

● Learning Triggers

The therapist learns about your behaviours and helps you to become aware of triggers that awaken your Trauma.

● Learning Coping Mechanisms

To deal with Trauma, the therapist teaches you coping mechanisms so that if you face the Trauma again, you are well prepared.

● Learning New Skills

The therapist teaches you new skills that prove to be helpful in trauma recovery.

● Processing Experiences

The therapist talks, listens, and helps you safely process your experiences.

Common Therapies Performed for Trauma Recovery

Here are the common therapies performed by therapists for trauma recovery.

● EMDR

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a trauma therapy that helps to remove stored memories that are negatively impacting you to help you heal your trauma.

● Somatic Experiencing

Somatic experiencing is a therapy that helps you increase your tolerance of negative emotional states. It helps to take away the intensity of the feelings connected to the trauma to help you heal.

● CBT

Cognitive behavioural therapy helps to improve a person’s behaviour, whether in response to Trauma or other situations.

● DBT

Dialectical behaviour therapy helps you to control emotions better and also helps you to improve your relations.

● Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapies include reliving the Trauma so that you can deal with it better.

When Should You Consider Visiting a Therapist?

You should consider visiting a therapist for trauma therapy when you find yourself hopeless and helpless and techniques to deal with Trauma are not working for you.

Conclusion

Trauma can lead to a lot of problems, and the biggest is that you are not able to act and perform normally. You can learn multiple techniques to deal with your Trauma, but visiting a therapist is always your best bet for a quick and permanent recovery. At Boomerang Counselling Centre, we have trained therapists to help assist you with your trauma recovery. You can book a consultation here.