The Effects Of Trauma On The Body

Trauma is any event that causes overwhelming distress. Generally, the perception of trauma is that it can have long-term psychological effects, but is physically a short-term experience. However, this isn’t always the case. While the immediate emotional and physical response to trauma may fade away over time, it’s our bodies that still remember it. That is why it’s important to understand how trauma can be stored in our bodies over time, especially in instances of severe complex trauma and the occurrence of somatisation.

WHAT IS TRAUMA?

Trauma refers to a person’s response after an overwhelming event that was harmful or life-threatening. It can affect a person’s mental, physical, emotional, social or spiritual well-being, which often results in feelings of shock, denial and changes in that person’s mind, body and behaviour. There are 3 types of traumas that an individual can experience:

• Acute Trauma: Stems from a single event, such as an accident; death of a loved one; or a violent interaction.

• Chronic Trauma: Stems from a series of events that are repeated over time, such as growing up in an abusive household; or ongoing bullying.

• Complex Trauma: Stems from a series of varied events that can be interrelated or unrelated to each other over a long period of time, usually beginning in early childhood and is accompanied by feelings of betrayal, such as growing up in a household where the abuser is a caregiver.

SHORT-TERM PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF TRAUMA

Stress reactions are your body’s normal responses to your normal day-to-day events, whereas trauma responses are your body’s normal responses to abnormal events. During a traumatic event, your stress reaction is activated by the brain in response to the sensory inputs received from the ears, nose and eyes. When your body senses a threat – real or perceived, it will immediately initiate defence mechanisms in order to protect itself. These are known as your trauma responses. While commonly known as the “fight or flight” response, there are 4 other normal trauma responses that a person may experience during a traumatic event: Fawn, Fall, Flock, or Freeze.

After the traumatic event has occurred, your nervous system goes back to the way it was, once the danger has passed. However, this is not always the case. Your body may begin to experience other physical effects such as: an upset stomach, trouble eating, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and severe headaches – alongside the initial physical responses of sweating, shaking, increased heart rate and rapid breathing that can occur during the event.

LONG-TERM PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF TRAUMA AND SOMATISATION

The long-term physical effects of trauma occur when a person hasn’t fully processed the traumatic event that they experienced, usually because while their conscious mind feels “okay”, their subconscious mind and body aren’t. During a traumatic event, the amygdala is the part of our brain that is responsible for activating our trauma responses. When theamygdala is activated, our brain shuts down our access to the frontal lobe – which is responsible for our executive functioning – and focuses solely on safety and survival. However, if a person hasn’t fully processed their experience, they can get “stuck” in their trauma response, which means their amygdala becomes overactive instead of shutting down. This results in that person subconsciously remaining so focused on survival, that they have limited executive functioning that allows them to be present in the world around them. And when a person becomes “stuck” in their trauma response, they can begin to experience more physical effects such as chronic pain, muscle tension, chest tightness, memory loss, brain fog and trouble focusing. This process of psychological stress presenting as physical symptoms, is called Somatisation.

THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE

Other severe physical effects of trauma include gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular health, weakened immune systems, and respiratory problems. Research has also now recognised the extent to which unprocessed trauma is the underlying cause of most preventable illnesses, and has even associated unprocessed trauma with 8 out of the 10 leading causes of death, including heart/lung/kidney disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, suicide and accidental overdose.

HOW COUNSELLING CAN HAVE AN IMPACT

Counselling assists with connecting/reconnecting one’s mind with their body. By using trauma-focused therapy techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Somatic Experiencing, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) – as well as stress reduction techniques, mindfulness and body-based practices – counsellors are able to assist individuals in navigating and processing their traumas, the releasing of stored body traumas, and the development of healthier coping techniques – allowing them to heal both physically and emotionally.

Author: Shenay Saroop-Golding

Reference list:

• (2021, November 19). How Trauma is Stored in the Body. All Points North.

• Common Reactions After Trauma. PTSD.https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/isitptsd/common_reactions.asp

• (2023, January 21). How Your Body Remembers Trauma. Psych Central.https://psychcentral.com/health/how-your-body-remembers-trauma

• How Trauma Affects Our Health. Centre to Advance Trauma Informed Health Care.

• The Body Keeps Score: How Trauma Persists in the Physical Body. Upper East Side Psychology. https://www.uppereastsidepsychology.com/post/the-body-keeps-score-how-trauma-persists-in-the-physical-body#:~:text=How%20Trauma%20Impacts%20the%20Physical%20Body%201%201.,Sleep%20Disturbances%20…%207%207.%20Respiratory%20Problems%20