Many times, our clients are not aware of the links between childhood events and the issues with which they struggle. Some mental health and relational difficulties have their roots in traumatic events experienced during childhood. Anxiety, depression, substance abuse, domestic violence, and sexual behaviour problems are sometimes connected to traumatic experiences.

Trauma can present itself in many shapes and forms. Sometimes a traumatic event happens in a split second and completely changes someone’s life. Other times it happens over months or years when living with fear.

Josh is in kindergarten. When he comes back home he sees his father drink and yell at his family, he calls his mother names and sometimes, he hits him and his siblings. Occasionally, he hits his mother as well. Josh lives in a state of fear and uncertainty about when the next violent episode will unravel. There is no room to express his emotions or ask for his needs. He feels sad, lonely, anxious and confused. His father is not the type of person that can be aware or care about his feelings when he is angry. This dynamic of explosive anger episodes never seems to stop.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is an emotional and physical response that results from a distressing event. We all go through emotionally distressing experiences. However, what makes trauma unique is that the emotional damage does not end when the experience ends. It continues beyond the experience and starts to affect the person’s mental and physical state. In Josh’s case, he may continue to feel that it’s not safe to share his feelings, and that he is not safe when someone near him is angry.

When a person goes through a traumatizing event, it leaves them in a state of shock, anger, confusion, and many other emotions. These emotions can be so strong that the person is unable to cope with them. Experiencing trauma can also cause someone to experience anxiety and even PTSD. Traumatic situations affect the part of the brain in charge of our survival. When a person is traumatized, the brain sends messages to the person that they are in danger. This can happen in day-to-day situations, and especially in situations that resemble the traumatic event itself.

How Trauma Affects the Body

There are many ways that trauma can affect someone. It can come with uncomfortable feelings, flashbacks, and even physical symptoms. The body sometimes registers the trauma and when the trauma is unprocessed, the body can bring up those negative reactions in our daily interactions. This is most common in situations the brain perceives as threatening. In The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolt describes this mind-body connection and how to use it to process trauma.