How to Know Trauma When You See It

The woman loved to window shop, but something wasn’t right. The green coat on the manikin had caught her attention. Without understanding why, she suddenly gasped for breath, felt light-headed and her heart pounded wildly. At home, she couldn’t focus on cooking a simple meal. It wasn’t until hours later that she calmed. Days later in her therapist’s office, she remembered. Two years ago, her assailant had worn a coat the same shade of green as the one in the store.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is so prevalent that it has become a buzzword. So much of what we experience is labeled “trauma”. But what really constitutes trauma? The word “trauma” can describe what happens as part of the mundane to the extra-ordinary in our lives. For some, missing a bus, sustaining a rear end collision, and falling off a ladder all fit under the trauma category. I have heard elders refer to trauma as the loss of dear friend, having to move out of a house and transitioning to retirement. Serious injuries, long incapacitating illnesses, abuse, or violent attack also can refer to trauma. But is it correct to lump all these different kinds of events under the heading of “trauma”?

Is it the Incident or the Response?

To begin, trauma is not the event. Let me say that again. It is not the disease, the rape, the attacks during war, or the ski accident. Rather, it is what happens to the individual as a result of these events. It is the sense of frozen helplessness that causes the symptoms. Needless to say, how we respond to threat is highly individual.

Do You Have These Trauma Symptoms?

1. Loss of the ability to respond. We are so overwhelmed by a real or perceived threat we simply cannot respond. We freeze. It is as though our nervous system is wired for 110 volts and it gets hit with 220 volts.
2. Loss of the ability to move easily between feeling excited or frightened and feeling relaxed and calm. As a result, the body systems which are designed to act on their own such as digestion, breathing, sexual arousal and heart rate get out of whack or shut down.
3. Loss of the ability to focus on what is happening right now. Life goes on without us. Our body and minds act as though the threat never ended and that it could happen again any minute; it needs to be ready to protect itself against future threat at the least provocation. We become stuck thinking in the past or preparing for the future.

In future articles, I will explain how these various symptoms get created. Stay tuned!

How Long Does It Take for Trauma Symptoms to Appear?

Posttraumatic symptoms, also known as PTSD, can arise over time and, in general, appear in increasing order of seriousness. Frequently, the initial response to the threat is for the body to go on red-alert. Your heart rate quickens; you sweat and gasp for breath; muscles tighten and your thoughts race; and digestion slows.

When asked about details of the event, you struggle to remember what happened or you minimize their importance. Some symptoms may come later. These can include: self-mutilation, attraction to dangerous activities, and complex chronic illnesses such as: migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue.

Do You Have Questions or Concerns About Trauma?

I feel pretty miserable and no one seems to know what is wrong with me, but I don’t want to know if I had something traumatic happen.
Admittedly, thinking in terms of trauma can be scary and possibly disruptive to how you have viewed your life. However, if you suspect that some of your symptoms may be trauma related, telling your health care provider could save you money and time on ineffectual treatments.

I thought I had a happy childhood, but I am not so sure anymore. Could something have happened?
Perhaps. It is not uncommon for people to forget the terrible things that have happened. The good news is that the trauma symptoms can be resolved without you ever getting a detailed account of what happened and without remembering every violation.

Aren’t we just being weak when we give into the notion that we’ve been traumatized?
Actually, admitting that we have been traumatized and seeking treatment can take courage. It may mean we no longer keep the abuse a secret or that we were violated in some way beyond our control. For some, trauma therapy can actually be life transforming; something that we once viewed as shameful and humiliating becomes the avenue for significant positive changes in our lives.

This Example Might Give You a Better Feel for the Often Overlooked Effects of Trauma

The mother had unexplained panic attacks for a year. She lived in fear that her son would die. During the day, she knew that as a mother of an active 8 year old, she should let him be free to explore his environment more than she was willing.

She tried talking to therapists about her fears, but this did not give her any relief. In fact, sometimes she became even more anxious.

A friend had told her about a special kind of trauma work that may help. Knowing that there often is a link between significant threats and anxiety, the first thing the therapist asked was, “Had anything happened shortly before the panic attacks began?” In response, the mother remembered that they had begun shortly after her son nearly drowned. Before he knew how to swim, her boy had ventured into the deeper water and bobbed up and down before she could reach him and pull him to safety.

The shock of seeing her son go under the water got stored in the part of the brain that controls how she moves and uses her senses. It was this part of the brain that needed to be accessed if the mother were to ever be free of the panic attacks. Until this happened, her brain could not really register that she successfully rescued her son.

Working slowly as to not overwhelm the mother, the therapist gradually helped her to let go of each piece of fear. To her surprise, the mother literally felt her body go through the motions of looking toward her son then moving forward to rescue him. These motions arose from within the mom and not because the therapist said, “Do it this way”. The mother was able to come out of her frozen state of seeing her son go under to experiencing the satisfaction of successfully rescuing her boy.

By the end of the therapy mom finally feltmore relaxed, and shortly afterwards the panic attacks stopped completely. For this mom it had been essential to work directly with her body in order to be able to bring the event to completion.

Summing It All Up

Life brings us challenges. Many appear on our radar as minor blips along the way. Some, however, send us reeling and have long-reaching consequences. Our biology gets overwhelmed and we go into a trauma response.

In general, symptoms will show up as disruptions in body systems that work outside of our conscious control. They can come and go and show up years after the events. Over time, they can become more complex to the point that they show little connection to the original threat.

Being curious about whether you are experiencing trauma symptoms when none of the traditional approaches seem to work, can make you a better health care consumer. Your curiosity may guide you to ask the questions that will help your counselor and health care professionals evaluate and treat you more appropriately.

Next Step? If you would like to learn more about how trauma may affect you or someone you love, please subscribe to my newsletter Healing After Trauma.

~Maggie