Physical wounds can be healed with the passage of time, but emotional trauma lingers on and affects different aspects of life. It’s a response to a traumatic event that happened in the past but exceeds a person’s ability to manage it. Depression, PTSD, anxiety, and other mental health conditions can be diagnosed if emotional traumas are left untreated. Moreover, emotional trauma causes difficulties in everyday life, such as managing relationships and emotional intimacy.   

This article provides an understanding of emotional trauma, its impacts, strategies that are helpful to cope with it, and more.  

What Is Emotional Trauma? 

Emotional trauma occurs after experiencing an extraordinarily distressing event that shatters a sense of dread and fear. Individuals with emotional trauma struggle with upsetting thoughts, memories, and anxiety. Moreover, the Amygdala, a brain structure, heightens the fear, which causes significant difficulties in emotional memories. Emotional trauma can be caused by sudden emotional shock, physical abuse, accidents, loss of a loved one, and toxic relationships. This response further causes physical and emotional symptoms; if these symptoms remain untreated, it may further lead to PTSD. 

 

Physical and emotional symptoms 

Everyone reacts to trauma in different ways. Here are some physical and emotional symptoms of emotional trauma. 

Physical symptoms  Emotional symptoms 
Insomnia  Shock, or disbelief 
Nightmares  Feeling numb 
Fatigue  Guilt 
Racing heartbeat  Mood swings 
Muscle pain  Anger 
Agitation  Irritability 

 

Acute Trauma Vs Chronic Emotional Trauma 

Acute trauma and chronic emotional trauma are two distinct conditions. Individuals with acute trauma have experienced trauma for a single time, whereas individuals with chronic trauma experience repeated exposure to traumatic events. 

Acute trauma  Chronic emotional trauma 
It’s a single-time, limited event. It’s a repeated and prolonged exposure to a traumatic event.
It’s an intense incident that causes distress. It’s an ongoing stressful situation. 
It can be diagnosed with PTSD.  It can be diagnosed with complex PTSD.

 

How Does Trauma Affect the Brain and Body? 

Trauma leaves a lasting effect on the body and brain; it impacts the brain structure and functioning, which further leads to dysregulation. Here is how emotional trauma impacts the brain. 

Amygdala

It’s a small almond-shaped structure in the brain that works as an alarm to fear and emotions and heightens anxiety. It causes difficulty between real and unreal thoughts. 

Hippocampus

The Hippocampus recalls old memories and helps in the formation of new memories; it shrinks during traumatic experiences.

Prefrontal Cortex

It helps in making decisions, thinking rationally, or regulating emotions. It shows reduced activity during traumatic experiences. 

Can trauma cause physical symptoms?

There is a deep connection between the body and trauma. Trauma can be stored in the body through somatic memory. Physical reactions are linked to traumatic events. Here is how trauma loops cause physical changes.

  • Chronic Pain and Tension: Trauma leads to several physical pains such as muscle pain, neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, and jaw pain. These are the common manifestations to recognize trauma. 
  • Digestive Issues: Excessive stress causes issues with the digestive system, such as stomach pain, bloating, or nausea.  
  • Cardiovascular Problems:  Excessive and continuous stress causes issues with the heart, such as high blood pressure or heart disease. 
  • Low Immune System: Emotional trauma causes issues with the immune system, which makes individuals susceptible to diseases.
  • Insomnia: Trauma causes problems with sleeping. 

12 Steps to Recover from Emotional Trauma 

Suppressing feelings may allow your trauma to prolong and get worse. Healing from emotional trauma takes time, but with the effective and right strategies, you will eventually feel better. Here are 12 effective strategies that can help you in the healing process and build emotional resilience. 

Acknowledge the Pain

Trauma can make your life more complicated and difficult. Many individuals avoid talking about their trauma and suppress their feelings of sadness, fear, and shame. Instead, healing begins when you allow yourself to acknowledge the impact of trauma. 

Don’t Isolate – Talk About It 

Following trauma causes withdrawal from others and makes you feel isolated and alone. However, disconnection from friends and family causes more difficulty in everyday life, try to make face-to-face interactions to avoid loneliness. Reach out to someone who will listen to your feelings without judgment and console you. 

Ground Yourself with Mindfulness 

If you are overwhelmed, anxious, or due to emotional trauma, you can calm yourself by doing mindfulness activities. Deep breathing exercises and listening to music can help you manage difficult thoughts. These techniques regulate the mood and provide a sense of stability.

Journal to Process Your Emotions 

Therapeutic journaling helps in reducing the impact of emotional trauma. To get more clarity on their thoughts, individuals write down all their feelings and emotions on paper. Journaling helps in emotional relaxation, reduces stress, reduces headaches, and helps with sleeping. 

 Build a Support System 

A support system provides a safe space for trauma survivors, where they can share their feelings and emotions in a nonjudgmental space. Therapists, friends, and family act as a support system that gives you a pep talk to stay motivated towards recovery. 

Consider Trauma Therapy (CBT, EMDR, Somatic) 

Professional mental healthcare experts provide evidence-based therapies tailored to the conditions of survivors. CBT helps in changing the negative thoughts, Somatic therapy helps by providing grounding techniques, and EMDR helps by remembering the traumatic events through bilateral stimulation.

Practice Self-Compassion & Forgiveness 

Traumatic events shake your personality and cause issues like self-blaming. However, by self-compassion and forgiveness, individuals can move on and start their journey towards healing. Practice self-compassion and treat yourself with kindness by accepting it’s not your fault.  

Create Safe Boundaries

Healthy boundaries create a refuge of safety and help in trauma recovery. Setting safe boundaries helps the survivors trust that their privacy can be respected, so they get more engaged in the therapeutic techniques. It rebuilds the sense of self and reduces the guilt associated with emotional trauma. 

Exercise and Sleep Hygiene 

Emotional trauma impacts various areas of life, including the brain and body. By engaging yourself in physical activities and maintaining a sleep pattern, you will get emotional resilience. However, a good sleep schedule helps improve overall well-being and reduces stress. 

Use Guided Meditation & Breathing Techniques 

To reduce the stress, deep breathing and meditation are very helpful as they regulate the nervous system. Close your eyes and take deep breaths to allow yourself to release stress and tension. These techniques help in prioritizing mental well-being as they bring attention to physical sensations while inhaling and exhaling. 

Limit Exposure to Triggers 

Triggers occur by witnessing the same situation, place, or environment that reminds one of the traumatic incident, which evokes a negative reaction. To limit these triggers, deep breathing, engaging in distracting activities, or seeking support from others can be very helpful. 

Be Patient with Your Healing Timeline 

Recovery from emotional trauma takes some time, as it’s a slow process. Focus on yourself by acknowledging small steps and becoming self-compassionate by trusting the process.

What NOT to Do During Trauma Recovery?

There are certain factors that can create more challenges and should be avoided during the process of trauma recovery. These include:

Suppressing emotions 

Suppressing emotions causes more delays in the recovery. It’s an act of consciously or unconsciously avoiding and numbing the emotions. Suppressing emotions means pushing yourself down by avoiding them. Individuals use distractions such as watching TV, avoiding the places that trigger, or using substances to overcome difficult thoughts. It may further lead to anxiety, depression, and cause physical issues like chronic pain.

Self-blame 

Individuals suffering from trauma have feelings of guilt and self-blame, even when they are not responsible for the traumatic event. Self-blaming leads to negative self-talk and leads to impedes recovery. Challenge these negative thoughts, and embracing self-kindness can help in the healing journey. 

Relying only on distractions 

Distracting yourself with healthy activities helps in recovery, but relying solely on distractions to avoid the trauma is detrimental in the long term. Excessive use of substances or overworking may help in a temporary escape. But excessive use of substances and overworking may impact the brain and physical health, which may further worsen mental health conditions. 

Toxic positivity 

Individuals with toxic positivity hide their pain and suffering just to stay calm and positive. It is harmful for individuals who are already going through difficult times and situations, such as trauma, stress, etc. It prevents the individuals from acknowledging their pain, and they don’t get the support they need by remaining overly positive.

Best Therapies for Emotional Trauma

Recovery from emotional trauma requires evidence-based therapies that provide help by managing the triggering situations. According to Bessel van der Kolk, effective therapies help in calming the nervous system, ground individuals in the present moment, and improve their overall well-being. The EMDR Institute sheds light on the importance of addressing underlying trauma and helps promote emotional healing. Moreover, Dr Peter Levine emphasizes that untreated trauma may lead to physical and emotional challenges. Some of the therapies that can be beneficial for treating emotional trauma are as follows: 

EMDR  Somatic Experiencing CBT Internal Family Systems Trauma-informed coaching 
It reprocesses the traumatic memories.  It releases trauma energy.  It changes negative thought patterns.  It heals the inner part of oneself. It empowers forward movement.
It works by bilateral stimulation. It works as a bodily sensation regulation skill.  It works as a restructuring to refrain from negative emotions.  It works by restoring the inner parts (manager, fireworks). It helps in self-regulation and resilience building. 
It reduces the emotional sensitivity caused by a traumatic experience.  It calms the nervous system and reduces hyperarousal. It manages traumatic triggers by developing coping techniques.  It reduces the conflicts and helps in self-compassion. It develops coping skills and helps in personal growth. 

How Long Does Emotional Trauma Recovery Take?

Emotional trauma causes intense challenges that may vary from person to person. However, the recovery can also vary from person to person. There is no set limit for the recovery, but recognizing the factors and earlier treatments can help in the recovery process. Here is a list of some of the factors, including:

  • Acute trauma remains for the short term and is treated quickly, whereas chronic, complex, or irrational trauma remains for longer periods and requires long-term therapy.
  • The recovery from emotional trauma also depends on personal circumstances, such as existing mental health conditions, support groups, engagement in healthy techniques, and a healthy, nutritious diet can impact the speed of the recovery. 
  • Early diagnosis helps in the speedy recovery, as timely diagnosis prevents negative emotions.
  • Each individual responds differently to therapy; some people require long-term therapy, while some individuals get better in fewer sessions.
  • A strong support system reduces the isolation and helps in managing healthier strategies.  

When to seek help

  • If the traumatic symptoms remain for a long time.
  • If you are experiencing mood fluctuations. 
  • If you stay irritated and numb.
  • If you make yourself engage in substance abuse. 
  • You experience physical symptoms, headaches, muscle pain, etc. 
  • If you are feeling hopeless.

    Coping Strategies for Daily Emotional Resilience

Traumas make your life challenging, but with the right strategies can enhance emotional resilience and help in building a healthier well-being. Here are some affirmations for individuals who have survived traumas.

  • Focus on Safety
  • Embrace Self-Worth
  • Acknowledge Resilience

Routine habits that rebuild a sense of safety 

To bring stability and structure to life, set up a routine.

  • Create a sleep routine. 
  • Take care of your appetite. 
  • Keep yourself physically active. 
  • Do meditation.
  • Design a safe place for yourself in your house. 

Grounding exercises

It is a valuable technique that helps in managing triggers or flashbacks, which are associated with trauma. Techniques such as deep breathing, touching and feeling objects, and engaging these techniques can help by taking you to the present moment and provide a sense of safety.
When to See a Mental Health Professional

Distressing thoughts after very common after experiencing a tragic event. If the symptoms last for a longer time and disturb daily life activities, then you may seek professional support. Here are some red flags that may indicate if you need professional support. 

  • Persistent sadness 
  • Mood fluctuations 
  • Excessive anxiety 
  • Excessive Fear
  • Trouble in coping with stress and trauma
  • Social withdrawal
  • Trouble managing relationships

What to Expect in Therapy 

Therapeutic approaches are very helpful, as they provide coping techniques, develop a deeper understanding of emotional resilience, build self-compassion, and help in gaining a sense of control. A healthcare professional can help you process traumatic incidents by providing techniques to deal with them.

Get Trauma Recovery Support at Advanced Health Preference Group 

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the impact of past traumas? At Advance Health Preference Group, our trained team of experts provides the best mental health services and helps you navigate the complex mind and body connection. We provide a safe and nurturing environment where you can talk about your feelings and emotions without the fear of judgment. We provide evidence-based and personalized treatments tailored to your unique condition. 

Take the first step towards healing and book your consultations today!

 FAQs  

Can trauma be healed completely? 

Yes, healing from trauma is possible.

What’s the fastest way to recover from emotional trauma? 

Healing from emotional trauma requires time; it’s a slow process.

Is therapy necessary for trauma healing? 

Yes, therapies are necessary to recover from trauma. 

What happens if trauma is left untreated? 

If trauma remains untreated, it may worsen the condition.

Does emotional trauma change your personality? 

Yes, emotional trauma shakes your personality.

Can Trauma Cause Physical Symptoms? 

Yes, trauma causes various physical symptoms such as muscle pain, headaches, etc.