We tend to hear a lot about trauma, in everyday life, in cinema, in literature. But, What really is emotional trauma?
When we hear the word “trauma” we usually think of wars, assaults, rapes or natural disasters. However, trauma can encompass much more than that and can be generated as a result of apparently less impactful events.
The generation of trauma does not depend on the event itself, but on how we perceive and interpret that event. And each person responds differently to the same event. An event that for some can generate emotional trauma, for others can pass without consequences.
Let’s start by defining what trauma is and what its particularities are. Trauma is the emotional and physiological response to an event that we perceive as threatening to life, physical or psychological integrity.
Sometimes, they are unique, unexpected, unpredictable and overwhelming events, such as natural disasters, accidents or assaults. Other times they are constant and predictable events, but equally overwhelming, such as the case of domestic violence or gender violence.
However, there is another type of trauma that is more silent and, therefore, is not as obvious. It’s about attachment trauma.
When we grow up in invalidating environments, in which our needs are not seen or taken into account, with too much stress and abuse (physical or emotional) or neglect, the way we respond to the world is affected. Then all areas of our personality are affected, since what is supposed to be a source of security and stability becomes the source of danger and threat.
Human beings are extremely social beings and we depend on our attachment figures for a long time. As social beings, we regulate our internal world in contact with others.
The nervous system of babies and children is regulated by contact with other safe, stable and protective human beings. If this fails, the child fails to establish a secure attachment and looks for ways to regulate himself, but not yet having the necessary resources and tools, this self-regulation usually fails. This is why this type of trauma is much more difficult to overcome.
What consequences does trauma leave in our lives?
Now, to better understand the consequences of trauma, it is important to understand how our autonomic nervous system works.
Our nervous system is constantly scanning the environment for threats because their priority is our survival.
When we perceive a threatening situation (traumatic event), our sympathetic nervous system launches a series of processes that prepare us to face it; It secretes hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that prepare us to fight or flee.
In the event that fight and flight are not possible, as is the case of mistreatment or abuse in childhood, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated with other survival strategies, such as restraint and submission. If these events are recurring, and there is no support to overcome them, the survival system remains constantly activated, leaving important consequences in our memory and other areas of our life.
Our nervous system becomes hyper-alert, activating in the face of stimuli that might seem innocuous to other people.
This is why, even though many years have passed since the traumatic event or events, our nervous system remains alert, activating, reacting to non-existent threats as if they were imminent dangers and current, deregulating us emotionally and physiologically.
It is as if our body and mind relive past traumatic events in the present; as if the trauma was “frozen.”
How do we process experiences?
It is then worth understanding that our brain is constantly processing all the experiences we live.
When an experience is processed successfully, because we have the tools and resources to do so, the information is stored in a healthy way and supports growth and learning.
But when we experience a traumatic experience (adverse or very difficult), our brain cannot process it in a healthy way; so, the information that comes from that experience is “encapsulated” those memories are kept intact, with a lot of somatic and emotional charge.
These memories that were not processed properly are called pathogenic memories. And these are the ones that generate symptoms such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, addictions, emotional dysregulation, etc.
Let’s make a simile with our digestive system. When we eat, our digestive system processes what we eat, keeps what serves to give us energy and nutrition, and discards what does not serve us. But what happens when we eat something that is spoiled or has too much fat or spices? Our stomach probably swells, it hurts, we even vomit or get diarrhea.
The same thing happens with our processing of information that comes from the experiences we live. Healthy processing is one that leaves us with what helps us make better decisions and throw away what is not necessary
When emotional trauma occurs, that processing is incomplete, and emotional information does not fit into our system as it should. And it is then that the consequences occur that do not allow us to live our lives fully, responding inadequately to those stimuli that trigger the memory of the traumatic event.
Here I detail some symptoms that may have their origin in a state of emotional trauma.
The hope of overcoming this problem
The good news is that Human beings are not static, we are constantly changing.
Every day we learn new things, we meet people who make us feel loved and safe, and we have pleasant experiences.
Recent scientific evidence supports that therapies such as EMDR Therapy (Trauma Reprocessing Therapy) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy can be of great help in alleviating suffering caused by trauma.
In the treatment of emotional suffering, you are not alone, you are not alone. Remember that it is always possible to ask for help.
I leave you with a phrase from Judith Herman, an American psychiatrist specializing in trauma that I really like, because it touches on the importance of human relationships for recovery.
“Trauma recovery can only take place within the context of interpersonal relationships, it cannot happen in isolation”.
I’m Emily Williams Jones, a psychologist specializing in mental health with a focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. With a Ph.D. in psychology, my career has spanned research, clinical practice and private counseling. I’m dedicated to helping individuals overcome anxiety, depression and trauma by offering a personalized, evidence-based approach that combines the latest research with compassionate care.
