Today we’re looking at 8 ways in which trauma may present itself.
I first came across people dealing with trauma back in the early 90’s whilst working at a psychiatric hospital in England. Of course back then, trauma wasn’t really something which was understood by the average m’man on the street’. However, fast forward 30+ years later and I don’t really have to define it for many of us to grasp what it means. If we haven’t endured at least one traumatic experience in our lives, I willing to bet that you know somebody who has.
I feel I should start by saying that only a small percentage of people who experience trauma will develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). So that said, what exactly is trauma? Or more to the point PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events. -NHS (2022)
The Royal College of Psychiatry defines it simply as:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can be caused when someone is exposed to a traumatic event. – RCGP (2021)
Broadly speaking, the symptoms of PTSD include reliving traumatic events through nightmares, flashbacks and intrusive thoughts about past (traumatic) events. But what does that actually look like?
1. Needing control
People who have experienced trauma, partlicularly those experiencing PTSD often find themselves trying to control everything – and everyone around them. We see this pattern over and over again in our clients who report having experienced trauma and PTSD. Often the fact this happens causes a significant amount of confusion and exasperation too. However, we are always quick to point out thatthe need to control everything is simply (though frustratingly) your subconscious mind doing it’s best to prevent you from experiencing trauma again. Basically, it’s protective.
2. Being hypervigilant
Hypervigilance is a state of extreme alertness that undermines quality of life. – Tull (2020)
People who are hypervigilant are constantly looking out for the hidden danger in everything – whether real or imagined. It is for this reason that people who live with trauma and PTSD often feel exhausted. Furthermore, being constantly on the lookout makes it difficult to concentrate on work and study, hence hinders academic work and professional advancement.
3. Craving escapism
Escapism is essentially the opposite of mindfulness. Perl (2016) explains that escapism is as follows:
A way of attempting to make negative feelings dissipate, without working through the necessary steps in order to come to relief through mental resolution.– Perl (2016)
However, when we use escapism as a way of making negative feelings disappear, we often find that the opposite happens. You can’t process what you’re running away from.
4. Feeling empty or numb
People who experience emptiness often describe it as not knowing how they feel. If you were to ask them to pick out of a list the emotion which they’re currently feeling, they honestly wouldn’t know where to start. And it doesn’t just stop with them not being able to pick the emotion from a list, it’s deeper than that.
People who feel numb don’t just experience lack of a feeling happiness, contentment, joy, or any other positve emotion, they often don’t feel anger, remorse, frustration, or any negative emotions either. This is often known as feeling flat.
It’s normal to sometimes feel empty, but when this becomes a sustained pattern in your life, it’s time to think about doing something about it.
5. Engaging in harmful behaviours without considering personal safety
PTSD is associated with numerous impulsive, maladaptive behaviours, such as multiple and risk sexual partners, drinking exsessively or taking recreational drugs. Andres et al (20212)
Impulsive behaviour usually occurs when somebody does something without thinking about it first, being unable to control or stop it once it starts or considering the impact that the behaviour might have. Examples of impulsive behaviours include drinking heavily, bingeing on unhealthy food, getting drunk, getting high, engaging in unsafe sex, self-harming or attempting suicide.
During our work with clients we have found that there is frequently an escapism element to the impulsive behaviour and that the longer somebody has been living with trauma, the higher the number of impulsive behaviours and severity of them.
6. Being a people-pleaser
People-pleasing occurs when people carry out activities and behaviours which are likely to garner the approval of somebody, a sector of society or an organisation. The role of people-pleasing is described by Finch (date unknown) as earning the approval of others. It’s a phenomenon that is found in other disorders too.
Of course, it’s normal to want to please others, but when somebody constantly puts other people’s needs ahead of their own, something needs to change.
7. Being very pessimistic and cynical
A person’s predisposition to feel happy, positive emotions enables them to bounce back better from negative life experiences – a concept known as resilience. But why?
It’s because of the biochemical changes that occur in the brain when a person feels positive emotion(s). When somebody experiences a positive emotion, the brain is flooded with neurotransmitters such as serotonin, endorphins and dopamine. These neurotransmitters stimulate the reward system in the brain and is associated with elevated mood, pleasure, and resilience to life’s stressful moments.
8. Feeling responsible for the happiness of everyone around you
When we’re traumatised and feel chronically under vast amounts of stress, it’s natural for people to do everything they can to add more stress into the mix. For many people, conflict is acutely stressful and they attempt to please people around them, because conflict is stressful and leads to feeling overwhelmed.
Final note
Looking at this not-very-exhaustive list of effects, it becomes obvious that this disorder is pervasive across many different aspects of a person’s life. This is why people suffering from trauma can struggle to find and maintain a job , complete a course of study, have meaningful relationships and keep up with the demands of child-rearing and caring duties.
Need help?
If you are struggling with the effects of trauma we, at Hypnotic Universe (formerly Mirfield Hypnotherapy Centre), are well-equipped to help you in your recovery journey. Contact us today if you are ready to move on with your recovery.
If you are feeling suicidal as a result of any difficulty, not just trauma, we implore you to contact you doctor or psychiatrist as soon as possible.
Next steps
We offer hypnotherapy both online and face to face, as well as in your own home, if you’re a blue badge holder living within approx’ 10 miles of WF14 9ED.
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Resources stated or linked in this article:
The following resources were used to create this post. This is not an exhaustive list and we cannot guarantee the authenticity or availability of all resources.
Andres et al (2012). Impulsive Behavious as an Emotion regulation Strategy: Examining Associations Between PTSD, Emotion Dysregulation and Impulsive Behaviours Among Substance Dependent Inpatients.Journal of Anxiety Disorders. P453-458. Accessed online August 2022. Available from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0887618512000199?via%3Dihub.
Finch (date unknown). 7 Subtle Signs Your Trauma Response is People-Pleasing. Accessed online August 2022. Available from https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/7-subtle-signs-your-trauma-response-is-people-pleasing.
NHS (2022). Overview – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Accessed online August 2022. Available from https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/overview/.
Perl, A (2016). Anxiety and Escapism: a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Accessed August 2022. Available from https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/anxiety-and-escapism-a-post-traumatic-stress-disorder.
Royal College of Psychiatrists (2021). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Accessed online August 2022. Available from https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/problems-disorders/post-traumatic-stress-disorder.
Tull (2020). Hypervigilance in PTSD and other disorders. Accessed online August 2022. Available from https://www.verywellmind.com/hypervigilance-2797363.
