Understanding Trauma: Why Does Your Mind and Body React the Ways They Do?

Written by: Registered Clinical Counsellor, Eszter Blind

Note: The article below mentions examples, types, and effects of trauma. Some readers may find this content to be distressing. Please take care of yourself and take breaks as needed! 

Have you ever felt stuck or found that the same cycles keep repeating over and over in your life? Do you know someone who went through a traumatic experience or was diagnosed with PTSD, and would like to know how to support them? What is trauma exactly, and how does it affect us? Here you will find information that makes it easier to navigate: 

Defining Trauma 

The word ‘trauma’ has Greek origins, meaning ‘wound’, however, it does not only refer to physical injuries. Psychological trauma is a negative response to a stressful situation that can overwhelm us, threaten our physical/mental state, or affect our identity, thought processes and experiences.^{1, 4} Being exposed to any kind of stressful event can be traumatizing and increase the risk for mental health concerns.^{6, 11} Traumatic life experiences (e.g. serious harm, injury, violence, or their threat) can be caused by people (e.g. social, economic, industrial) or by natural disasters (e.g. flood, earthquake), and we can experience them directly or indirectly (e.g. witnessing, learning about experiences of loved ones, exposure as part of a job).^{1, 2, 3} Regular coping strategies are usually not effective against them, and they can impact our everyday lives, cause emotional distress and negative reactions.¹ 

However, in the words of Dr. Gábor Máté: “trauma is not what happened to you, it is what happened inside of you – and that’s good news, […] because if trauma is not the unchangeable event that happened, but it is the wound that you sustained and the meaning you made of it, […] that means it can be restored at any moment!”¹⁹

“Big T” and “Little t” 

Did you know there are different types of trauma?

“Big T” or “large T” trauma refers to responses to major, catastrophic events in child- or adulthood, which can threaten our lives or our mental/physical integrity.^{1, 3, 12} Types include: natural disasters, health problems, chronic illnesses, physical injuries/accidents, assault, abuse, exposure to unwanted events (e.g. violence, war, toxic substances, sexual experiences), unexpected/potential death of a loved one, fire/explosion, captivity (e.g. being a hostage), harm to oneself or another person, or any other very stressful experience (e.g. social-, economic- or food deprivation, oppression, physical neglect, harassment, becoming a refugee, etc).^{1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 15, 17, 18} 

The term “little t” trauma might sound misleading at first. It is used for a compilation of multiple “smaller” events – they are referred to as minor, because they do not directly threaten physical integrity, but they can affect emotional, mental and social safety, and have an equally serious negative impact as ‘big T’ trauma types or can worsen their effects.^{1, 12} Examples are: emotional abuse, neglect or abandonment, victimization, humiliation, teasing, bullying or any other experience that may have negative consequences over time (e.g. relationship issues, maternal depression, etc).^{1, 6, 17, 18} 

However, being exposed to such events does not necessarily mean a person will experience trauma that would need to be diagnosed.²⁰ But how can we identify its characteristics? 

PTSD or CPTSD? 

You have probably heard these terms many times before – but what do they mean exactly? 

PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder) means a fearful response to a specific (series of) traumatic event(s), which can cause impairments in important life aspects (e.g. social, work, school, family, etc). Components of this phenomenon are:^{2, 3, 11, 20}

• Re-experiencing trauma (having upsetting dreams, mild to severe flashbacks, or reliving the recurrent intrusive memories in the present accompanied by fear, distress, other overwhelming emotions or psychological reactions)
• Avoidance of internal or external reminders after the traumatic event(s) occurred (thoughts, memories, feelings, activities, situations, people, objects)
• Persistent sense of current threat (with increased arousal, hypervigilance or an exaggerated startle response, and potentially adopting new behaviours to ensure safety)
• Negative changes in mood and cognition, beginning or worsening after the traumatic event (inability to remember, negative beliefs and emotional state, diminished interest, detachment), and 
• Changes in arousal and reactivity, causing disturbances in behaviour 

Although PTSD can occur acutely with a short duration, it is typically associated with a history of multiple traumas and psychosocial stressors (e.g. difficulties in areas of work, family, marriage, etc.), that may have a cumulative effect and cause neurobiological changes.¹⁰ It can occur any time after the traumatic event during the lifespan (from 3 months to years), and its symptoms may vary over time, culture, age, sex, gender and other characteristics of individuals experiencing them.^{2, 20} 

CPTSD (a.k.a. Complex PTSD)^{3, 8, 11, 15, 20} occurs when a person is exposed to multiple forms of stressful or traumatic events repeatedly (in childhood or as an adult), which can cause pervasive psychological damage and have a cumulative effect. Prolonged trauma in CPTSD causes disturbances in self-organization (DSO), with the following elements:

• Affective dysregulation (emotions are hyper- or hypoactivated, meaning they can become excessive or completely numbed)
• Negative self-concept (beliefs and sense of self are negative, e.g. feeling worthless or defeated, usually tied to feeling guilt, failure or shame), and 
• Interpersonal problems (difficulty in building and maintaining relationships, often resulting in social withdrawal, isolation or disconnection from others) 

Similarly to PTSD, a history of earlier trauma is associated with CPTSD, which can be equally as or even more severe. The startle reaction typical in PTSD, however, might be rather diminished in CPTSD. It can also occur any time across the lifespan, but repeated trauma in early development poses a greater risk of CPTSD than PTSD.²⁰

Note: although CPTSD is a commonly used phrase in therapy to describe and help to understand this phenomenon, in North America, only PTSD is being diagnosed according to the classification system (DSM-5).² 

As we can see, regardless of its type, trauma can have a serious impact on different areas of life – but what experiences can be connected to it? 

Impacts of trauma 

Even if one may not experience all the symptoms of PTSD or CPTSD, trauma can still have a pervasive and longstanding impact on their life.^{6, 12} Traumatic stressors represent the real or potential loss of something perceived as necessary for survival (e.g. food, love, attachment).¹⁶ The uncertainty, loss of control and isolation from supportive relationships in the face of these traumatic experiences can cause both physical and psychological stress.^{13, 16} It can result in feeling stuck, often caused by unconscious patterns that keep repeating. 

Since trauma is a complex phenomenon, so are its effects, which can combine or manifest in different ways and cause difficulties in several areas:^{2, 6, 7, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20} 

Biological aspects: 

• Trauma can make your nervous system more sensitive to stress. This means your body may react strongly to situations that don’t seem dangerous on the surface, but your nervous system is trying to protect you based on past experiences
• Trauma can also affect the functioning, development and size of different brain areas, their neural circuits and connections. It can dysregulate the stability of our internal systems (hormonal, immune, cardiovascular), our sleeping patterns and arousal reactions
• It can cause hormonal imbalances – lower levels of certain hormones (e.g. oxytocin, serotonin) and an overload of others (e.g. cortisol, adrenaline) 
• These alterations affect mood, anxiety, behaviour, interpretations and responses to experiences, the functioning of different organs, and increase vulnerability to co-occurring concerns
• The effects of trauma are often stored in ‘body memories’, which can be an important factor in repeating unconscious patterns (“if we don’t say no to too much stress, the body will do it for us”)
• Altered genetic mechanisms can make people more prone to diseases, and allow trauma to be passed on across generations

Cognitive functions: 

• Trauma can make it difficult to focus, maintain attention, remember/process information, organize, plan ahead, or to stay mindful in the present 
• Instead of remaining rational, it can create negative thinking patterns or expectations, cause intrusive thoughts, obsessions, distorted cognitions about the cause/consequences of the event(s), or make perception more sensitive to threat-related triggers 
• These changes might interfere with academic or occupational functioning

Emotion Regulation

• Emotional reactions may seem out of proportion, when an element of the current situation resembles pieces of the past traumatic event 
• People might experience general dysphoria, anxiety or panic, and higher levels of persistent negative emotions (e.g. anger, shame, sadness, helplessness, humiliation or guilt), making it difficult to experience positive emotions (e.g. happiness, satisfaction, tenderness, loving feelings) 

Behavioural responses: 

• Behaviour can become repetitive or entirely rigid, compulsive or unpredictable
• Reactions may also become intense to perceived threat (e.g. outbursts, aggression) 
• People might feel very active, irritable, reckless or completely immobilized, have lower interest in previously enjoyed activities, or often turn to maladaptive ways of coping and self-soothing (e.g. substance use), which can hinder recovery or perpetuate the problems 

Social relationships: 

• Aside from negative self-view, prolonged early trauma can also lead to a threatening interpretation of others or to developing insecure (e.g. disorganized) attachment styles 
• Traumatized people may feel misunderstood, unsafe, disconnected, estranged or isolated even in previously fulfilling relationships 
• It might be difficult to verbalize concerns, or subtle reactions can feel triggering, which can lead to conflicts with loved ones or to avoiding connection completely (social withdrawal) 

Seeing the pervasive effects of traumatic events, it is not surprising that trauma can appear in the background of several different mental health concerns, such as: mood- (e.g. depression), eating-, dissociative-, somatoform-, sleep-wake-, disruptive- or personality disorders, different forms of anxiety (e.g. general, phobia, panic, separation anxiety), ADHD, addictions and substance abuse (as an attempt to self-soothe), behavioral or learning difficulties, sleep disturbances, psychosis, interpersonal sensitivity, impulse control/aggression, lower sense of well-being and satisfaction with life.^{5, 6, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 20} Patterns of trauma can also be discovered as potential risk factors in the lives of people struggling with somatic concerns (e.g. inflammation, fibromyalgia, autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis, cancer, cardiovascular concerns like hypertension, obesity, diabetes, most major leading causes of death and disability, and other functional limitations).^{6, 13, 16, 17} 

However, exposure to traumatic stressors may not influence everyone the same way, and going through trauma does not necessarily lead to other mental health diagnoses. The effects, symptoms and outcomes of trauma can differ between individuals, depending on various factors (e.g. their traits, type of traumatic experience, reactions of the environment).^{1, 10, 11} 

How can you grow after a traumatic experience? What are the most effective treatment methods, and what steps can you take on your journey? Keep an eye out for the second post, where you can find answers to all of these questions!

If this article resonated with you, you don’t have to navigate your experiences alone. Eszter offers a compassionate, trauma-informed approach to help you better understand your patterns, build emotional safety, and move toward healing at your own pace. Whether you’re processing past trauma, feeling stuck in recurring cycles, or simply looking for support, she is here to help.

Book a complimentary 15-minute consultation with Eszter!

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