Trauma 101: What is Trauma and How to Heal
Common Trauma Response Disorders
As I mentioned earlier, your body responds to trauma in a number of different ways. Sometimes, these responses turn into disorders that disrupt the normal functioning of the brain and body. A trauma response disorder simply means your body’s alarm systems are no longer responding to danger and safety like they should. Here are a couple of the most common types of trauma response disorders:
Dissociation
Dissociation is a way of detaching from reality that causes victims of trauma to psychologically separate themselves from what they’ve experienced and from their present reality. Dissociating can be very scary, with symptoms including memory lapses, identity confusion, mood swings, difficulty handling intense emotions, and feeling disconnected from oneself.
People who struggle with dissociation may also develop dissociative disorders, such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Dissociative Amnesia, and Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
When we think of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), we often think of trauma in combat war veterans. But PTSD affects more than veterans. PTSD can show up in the lives of anyone who’s experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. When someone has PTSD, they often relive past experiences in the present. These past experiences are often triggered by common, everyday occurrences, such as fireworks, loud neighbors, a trip to a hospital, or bad weather.
Symptoms of PTSD include having nightmares or terrible memories about the event, experiencing intense emotions, acting or feeling like the event is happening again (aka having flashbacks), and avoiding reminders of the traumatic event.
If you’re suffering from trauma symptoms or trauma responses, please know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Even though you might not feel it right now, healing is possible.