Emotional trauma: what it is and how to detect it

We tend to hear a lot about trauma, in everyday life, in the movies, in literature. But, what really is emotional trauma?

When we hear the word "trauma" we usually think of war, assault, rape, or natural catastrophes. However, trauma it can encompass much more than that and be generated as a result of events -apparently- of lesser impact.

The generation of trauma does not itself depend on the event, 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 it can happen without leaving consequences.

What is trauma and what are its types?

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, or physical or psychological integrity.

Sometimes they are unique, unexpected, unpredictable, and overwhelming events, such as natural disasters, accidents, or muggings. 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 not as obvious. It's about attachment trauma..

When we grow up in disabling environments, in which our needs are not seen or taken into account, with too much stress and abuse (physical or emotional) or neglect affects the way we respond to the world. Then all areas of our personality are affected, because what is supposed to be a source of security and stability becomes the source of danger and threat.

Humans are highly 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.

He nervous system of babies and children is regulated in contact with other safe, stable and protective human beings. If this fails, the child fails to establish a secure attachment and seeks ways to self-regulate. itself, but not having the necessary resources and tools yet, this usually fails self-regulation. 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 aftermath of trauma, it is important to understand how our autonomic nervous system.

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 starts 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 immobilization and submission. If these events are recurring, and you do not have the 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 remains hyper-alert, activating against 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 emotionally and physiologically.

It is as if our body and mind relive past traumatic events in the present; as if the trauma were “frozen”.

How do we process experiences?

It is therefore 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 it, the information is stored in a healthy way and supports growth and learning.

But when we live 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 load.

These memories that were not properly processed are called pathogenic memories. And it is these 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 us to give us energy and nourish us and discards what does not serve us. But what happens when we eat something that is spoiled or has too much fat or spice? Our stomach is probably inflamed, hurts or even vomits or has diarrhea.

The same happens with our processing of information that comes from the experiences we live. A healthy processing is one that leaves us what helps us make better decisions and discard what is not necessary

How do I know if I have emotional trauma?

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 with fullness, responding inappropriately to those stimuli that trigger the memory of the event traumatic.

Here I detail some symptoms that may have their origin in a state of emotional trauma.

• Difficulty feeling safe or secure, trusting others, and establishing meaningful relationships.
• Difficulty regulating your emotions and impulses. For example, frequent fits of anger.
• Resorting to alcohol, drugs, excessive food, compulsive gambling (or video games) when some intense emotion occurs.
• Engage in risky behavior, for example, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or unsafe sexual behavior.
• Present depression, anxiety or panic attacks.

Hope to overcome 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 the suffering caused by trauma. 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.

She will leave you with a phrase from Judith Herman, an American trauma specialist psychiatrist that I like very much, 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".