Exposure to a single traumatic event—or repeated trauma—can lead to significant mental health challenges. Receiving care from a trauma-specialized professional is associated with better mental health outcomes and an improved quality of life.
Key points
- Trauma and PTSD tend to respond well to treatment.
- PTSD describes a long-term condition characterized by significant distress.
- Untreated trauma can have long-term effects on your mental and physical health.
- Trauma-informed CBT for children and teens, other approaches for adults.
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Overview
Trauma arises from experiencing something overwhelming while feeling unsupported or unprepared to cope. It can result from a single, terrifying event—such as an assault, car accident, or natural disaster—or from repeated “minor” offenses, like frequent verbal mistreatment by primary caregivers during childhood.
Trauma affects each person differently. What one individual may barely perceive as traumatic could deeply impact someone else for years. Rather than judging the severity of an event, it’s more useful to consider trauma in the context of your own experience and how it continues to influence your life today.
Many challenges can stem from trauma, though they may also have other causes. These can include mental health difficulties such as depression or anxiety, rumination and compulsive overthinking, difficulty making decisions, sleep disturbances, low energy and motivation, irritability, struggles with forming healthy relationships or maintaining employment, or a general sense of struggling in life without understanding why or how to address it.
Trauma and PTSD
Symptoms
Diminished ability to function in everyday life
Trauma can interfere with your ability to learn, process information, and navigate daily life. When your sense of safety is threatened, your brain naturally shifts into survival mode, prioritizing immediate protection over thoughtful processing. While this response is adaptive in the moment, it can leave lasting effects. Even after the danger has passed, the neurological changes caused by trauma can make it challenging to heal and function effectively in everyday life.
Mental health challenges
Trauma is closely linked to mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, phobias, and ADHD. It can also disrupt executive functioning skills, affecting your ability to prioritize tasks, manage time, maintain a healthy routine, and sustain professional responsibilities.
Trauma encourages unhealthy behaviors
Broad-reaching psychoanalytic research confirms the association between exposure to trauma and the development of dysfunctional and uncontrolled behaviors.
“Dysfunctional avoidance” refers to the attempt to avoid having to deal with unpleasant and discomforting experiences associated with numerous types of interpersonal trauma. This leads to an increased propensity to engage in substance abuse and problematic or self-injurious behaviors (including suicidal ideation and sexual risk-taking) while reducing the capacity to self-regulate injurious behaviors.
If you struggle with unhealthy compulsions or behaviors relating to food, sex, substances, or technology, unresolved trauma might play a significant role in your struggle. Fortunately, working to heal your trauma very often also heals the source of your behaviors, which makes it drastically easier to start changing them.
Physical health ramifications of trauma
Trauma can affect not only mental and behavioral well-being but also physical health. Exposure to interpersonal trauma is strongly linked to long-term physical health challenges.
Children who experience trauma face an increased risk of developing conditions such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, stroke, and substance use disorders, alongside potential mental health difficulties.
Causes and risk factors
The chances of developing PTSD or other problematic responses to trauma may be affected by:
- Genetic and environmental factors
- Repeated exposure to traumatic events
- Feeling helpless during traumatic events.
Treatment for trauma
Fortunately, there are multiple effective treatments for trauma available for adults and for children. Trauma-aware therapy can be an important part of recovery.
Your therapist may suggest:
- Trauma-informed CBT for teenagers, adolescents, and children
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches individuals alternative ways of thinking, responding, and reacting to situations in order to reduce anxiety and fear. CBT has been extensively researched.
- Exposure therapy: A CBT technique used to treat anxiety disorders, exposure therapy helps individuals confront the fears underlying their anxiety and gradually re-engage in activities they have been avoiding. It is sometimes combined with relaxation exercises.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT uses mindfulness, goal-setting, and other strategies to help individuals manage discomfort and anxiety.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness and other supportive approaches
Start today
If trauma is impacting your life, you’re not alone. Dr. Medina offers trauma therapy to help you heal from PTSD, past abuse, and other unresolved trauma. Whether in-person in Scottsdale or through online sessions across Arizona, you’ll get the support you need to process your emotions and regain control. Contact Dr. Medina today to start your healing journey with a therapist who truly understands.
Related information
Briere, J., Hodges, M., & Godbout, N. (2010). Traumatic stress, affect dysregulation, and dysfunctional avoidance: a structural equation model. Journal of traumatic stress, 23 6, 767-74
Dimopoulou, I., Anthi, A., Mastora, Z., Theodorakopoulou, M., Konstandinidis, A., Evangelou, E., Mandragos, K.E., & Roussos, C. (2004). Health-Related Quality of Life and Disability in Survivors of Multiple Trauma One Year After Intensive Care Unit Discharge. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 83, 171-176.
López-Martínez, A., Serrano-Ibáñez, E.R., Ruíz-Párraga, G.T., Gómez-Pérez, L., Ramírez‐Maestre, C., & Esteve, R. (2018). Physical Health Consequences of Interpersonal Trauma: A Systematic Review of the Role of Psychological Variables. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 19, 305 – 322.
Sanderud, K., Murphy, S., & Elklit, A. (2016). Child maltreatment and ADHD symptoms in a sample of young adults. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 7.
Schnurr, P.P., & Green, B.L. (2004). Understanding relationships among trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and health outcomes. Advances in mind-body medicine, 20 1, 18-29
