Sometimes, the word “trauma” can feel vague and unclear. The more you learn about the subject, the more you might ask yourself how much trauma you have experienced.
First of all, trauma can be defined as any overwhelmingly negative event that causes a lasting impact on a person’s mental and emotional stability.
Some common sources of trauma include:
- Domestic or emotional violence, including bullying
- Natural disasters
- Severe illness or injury
- The death of a loved one
- A near-death experience
- Witnessing an act of violence
When an individual is exposed to or experiences a traumatic event (or series of events), the brain actually rewires itself to respond differently to stress.
Have you ever wondered how traumas from your past could affect your life as it is today?
For example, when I was younger I got bullied. Bullied so badly that I moved schools because I couldn't mentally take it. Why was I bullied? Well, first I was quiet and a bit different than the other girls. Second, I started playing softball in a rec league that wasn't for the same school. Those girls didn't like it and I suffered in silence.
I remember going to a sleepover thinking these girls were my friends. During the sleepover, I was left out of many things, and while I was sleeping they messed with me like poured water on me and stupid shit like that.
I still wonder sometimes whether bullying plays a role in my life today and how I respond to things. This was a traumatic experience for me. Remember a traumatic event is considered any negative event that has a lasting impression on someone emotionally. Something that causes triggers.
Increase In Fear And Anxiety
Perhaps the most common emotional reaction to trauma is feeling fearful and anxious. This makes perfect sense because, of course, we would be afraid of something scary after it happened!
When we feel anxious or fearful after being exposed to a trigger or recalling a memory, that’s just our nervous system working as it should—to protect us from reliving and experiencing those dangers again in the future.
If you’re finding that you spend a lot of time feeling anxious or scared of specific people, situations, or something else, getting to the root cause of those feelings can help you overcome them.
Above I mentioned the bullying had a negative impact on me emotionally and believing it still does. When I am in a group of people, I'm usually the quietest one in the group. Yes, I am considered slightly an introvert. However, part of me is fearful of saying something that I may get made fun of which is a trigger from being bullied. Mentally I will become upset and not want to be in the same room anymore. So, there is an increase in anxiety in social situations for me. This is classified as a type of trauma.
If you want help sifting through and a better understanding of your brain’s inner workings, let’s talk. Send me a message through my website.
Angry But Why?
Anger is a very common reaction to trauma. This is because we might feel anger at the person or situation responsible for that trauma. OR, we might be angry at ourselves for allowing that trauma to happen (even if we truly were victims in the situation).
As stated above, instead of being able to let being made fun of roll off my back, inside I am angry. Angry at the people making fun of me and angry at myself for even talking or opening up enough about something to be made fun of.
If you’re feeling more irritable than usual or have difficulty understanding why you’re snapping at people around you, let’s work together to find the root cause of those feelings. Contact me through the website.
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