Many people suffer unnecessarily from the effects of trauma and abuse. Often, people suffer because they don’t realize they have experienced trauma, or they underestimate its impact on their lives. Understanding the symptoms and effects can help you come to the realization that you are in fact being affected by a traumatic experience. Once you understand the symptoms and ultimately the effect it can have on your day-to-day life, you can begin to take steps to overcoming its effects. We understand that seeking outside help is not something everybody is comfortable with, so at Connections CS we are dedicated to providing information for individuals that may want to try to cope with trauma on their own. The purpose of this blog is to first explain common symptoms of trauma, then to showcase how it can be negatively impacting your life, and finally give you some brief tips on how you can cope with trauma if you do not wish to seek professional help.
Common Symptoms of Betrayal Trauma
Trauma, or more specifically, betrayal trauma can be hard to pinpoint because a lot of the symptoms are common in other mental illnesses. If you are experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, and/or depression since the onset of your traumatic experience these may symptoms indicating you are dealing with trauma. Unfortunately, all of those symptoms may be experiences you are already facing or could be unrelated to your traumatic experience.
Symptoms that you should be aware of that may be more trauma focused are nightmares, flashbacks, helplessness, reliving the event, withdrawing, avoidance of situations that relate to your traumatic experience, and intrusive images.
The Negative Effects Betrayal Trauma Can Have
Anxiety causes your brain to constantly flood your nervous system with hormones and chemicals designed to respond to threats. Long-term exposure to these chemicals can cause serious harmful effects to your physical health and can lead to depression. Some of the most common effects anxiety causes on the body are digestive issues through nausea or diarrhea, respiratory issues through worsening asthma symptoms from panic attacks, weaken your immune system making you more prone to illnesses, loss of libido, and so much more.
Depression is known for causing headaches, chronic body aches, and overall pain that may not respond to medication. You may also experience a loss or gain in appetite, insomnia or oversleeping, and you may begin to have lower self-esteem. Furthermore, depression over time can develop into heart disease and high blood pressure. These are just two main symptoms that you can face from trauma that if not taken care of, will worsen and cause serious health issues in the future.
Simple Tips to Cope With Betrayal Trauma
At Connections CS we tend to focus on creating a therapeutic approach to healing trauma through establishing a safe environment in the therapy room. You can do this at home and with the people around you. If you do not want to seek professional help, turn to others for support. Make sure they understand you are at a fragile point and it is important when talking with you, they need to be as understanding and supportive as possible to ensure they are providing a safe environment for you.
Understanding the negative effects trauma can play on your mental and physical health, try to create a daily self-care plan. Our best suggestion is start small. Step outside to get some fresh air, work on good nutrition, drinking water, and getting a good night of sleep. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. It is never your fault when dealing with the effects of trauma and the symptoms you are facing are common. Try to remind yourself when you feel overwhelmed, that thousands of people have overcome trauma and that means you can too. Be patient and allow yourself as much time as needed.
Trauma may be more common than you think. According to recent research, roughly 70% of the population faces some form of betrayal trauma in their relationships. This is mainly due to the fact that most betrayal trauma incidents are considered minor to the individual. In reality, any form of betrayal trauma is serious. If you wish to seek help with your betrayal trauma or even abuse counseling contact us at Connections Counseling at 801.272.3420
