A few weeks ago, we started a new series on trauma, how it affects the body, and steps you can take to heal. In my first post, we learned that trauma occurs when an event exceeds your nervous system’s capacity to cope with it. It was simply too much to process or understand at the time.
This could be due to age, sensitivity, emotional stability, resources, or lack of support (i.e. someone to come alongside you to serve as a compassionate witness to what you were going through). The frequency, intensity, and any previous trauma experienced must also be taken into consideration, but there is one thing all traumatic events have in common: the individual’s basic need for love, safety, or belonging was not met and it left a lasting impact.
Trauma can have long term effects on our physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being, but the good news is there are steps we can take to heal. To heal from trauma, it must be exposed and discussed. It is when trauma is sufficiently remembered—in a safe environment where one feels seen, heard, validated, and understood—that true healing can happen.
Before we can begin to heal, we must understand what trauma is. Last time, we explored the first three statements about trauma; today we’ll look at statements 4-6. Can you tell whether each one is true or false?
1. Trauma is any life-threatening event. (False)
2. A variety of factors determine whether an event becomes traumatic for an individual. (True)
3. The best way to heal from trauma is to forget about it and move on. (False)
4. God promises to protect us from experiencing trauma.
5. 90% of U.S. citizens will be exposed to a traumatic event in their lifetime.
6. People who have experienced trauma are usually depressed.
4. God promises to protect us from experiencing trauma. (False)
Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But, take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus doesn’t sugar coat it—He says the Christian life is hard. We will struggle. We will experience pain and trauma. However, He tells us we can have courage, He promises to send a Helper (the Holy Spirit) to guide us, and assures us our that our grief will turn to joy that no man can take away.
God never promised to shield us from suffering, but He promises to strengthen us in it and give us His peace. He promises to work all things for our good and bring purpose from our pain (Romans 8:28). God takes our worst pain and, through our relationship with Him, redeems it in improved relationships with others (e.g., compassion, empathy, and Christ-like love), new possibilities (e.g., ministering to others), personal strengths (e.g., resilience), deeper spirituality (e.g., trust in God), and a greater appreciation of life. This concept of post-traumatic growth states that transformation occurs not in spite of trauma, but because of it. No pain is wasted, your hard story has meaning, and the Lord will use it to bring you (and others) healing.
You may still be reminded of past trauma, but you can reach a point, with God’s help, where it no longer has a hold on you. It’s about learning what to do with what you remember in a way where you’re no longer overcome with negative emotion when you think about it. It becomes something that happened to you, but it’s over now. You are safe.
You can become free from reliving the pain, rehashing the past, and being paralyzed by anxiety, guilt, depression, shame, or loneliness. You are no longer a slave to fear. This is what I believe it means to walk in victory, because you are more than a conqueror through Christ who loves you (Romans 8:37).
5. 90% of U.S. citizens will be exposed to a traumatic event at least once in their lifetime. (True)
This staggering statistic is true, taking into account the many types of trauma, from assault, abuse, serious car accidents and injuries to natural disasters, life-threatening illnesses, death of a close family member or friend, and the witnessing of another’s trauma.
Of those exposed to a traumatic event, about 9% will develop PTSD, with women being twice as likely to experience PTSD symptoms as men (13% of females compared to 6% of males). One theory as to why trauma impacts women differently is that their brains do not compartmentalize in the same manner men’s brains do. Trauma affects women in a more “web-like” way, affecting multiple aspects of their life.
Some common signs of PTSD include:
- Numbing (e.g. flat affect/not feeling or disconnecting from people/activities you once enjoyed
- Hyperarousal (e.g. extreme reactions to triggers that remind you of painful events)
- Dysfunctional Relationships (e.g. intense protective/defensive pathways)
- Re-experiencing (e.g. flashbacks and nightmares where you relive the event)
- Avoidance (e.g. people, places, conversations, things that remind you of the trauma)
- Dissociation (e.g. using the imagination to escape trauma you can’t get away from)
It’s important to know that PTSD and c-PTSD are normal human responses to abnormal situations. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it doesn’t mean you are abnormal—what you experienced is abnormal. Trauma can compromise our health and ability to engage with others by replacing patterns of connection with patterns of protection (which are actually self-defeating), but there are things we can do to move toward recovery.
If you or a loved one is triggered by people, places, phrases, or things (e.g. loud noises, images) that cause painful memories to resurface, this Managing Your Triggers Toolkit can help you gain greater understanding of your emotional sensitivities, develop your capacity to recognize when you’ve been triggered, and implement powerful practices for self-management to improve your overall well-being.
6. People who have experienced trauma are usually depressed. (False)
People are affected by trauma in different ways. Someone who is highly sensitive, for example, may feel pain and trauma more deeply. Someone who has a strong support system and reaches out immediately can mitigate the effects of stressful events early on, preventing long-term deficits. Those who have experienced childhood trauma have an increased risk for depression due to alterations in brain chemistry, but it is not the majority. (Click here for common signs and symptoms of depression.)
Many people who have experienced trauma are highly functioning otherwise “healthy” adults, but they still struggle with one or more of the following:
- Extreme emotional reactions (aka “triggers) to things that remind them of past trauma
- Heightened defensive/protective responses, numbing behaviors, and/or addiction
- Flashbacks and/or intrusive thoughts about the traumatic events
- Feeling frequently anxious or on edge and struggling to relax (aka stuck in “fight or flight” mode)
- Difficult sleeping and/or focusing on routine tasks
- Impaired memory and/or decision making
- Avoidance of certain people, places, or situations
- Chronic pain, illness, muscle tension/TMJ or other physical ailments, especially with an unknown origin
Unresolved trauma results in an overactive nervous system that floods our body with cortisol and adrenaline. These stress hormones take a toll on our bodies over time, causing health problems, an impaired immune system, sleep disturbances, and several other symptoms. This is why strategies to regulate our nervous system (i.e. calm the sympathetic/fight or flight and engage the parasympathetic, or “rest and digest” response) and practices like deep breathing can help.
I want to encourage you that healing and recovery from trauma are possible! It requires patience, repetition, quiet, reflection, and rebuilding a sense of safety, but you will get there! Relaxation, meditation, and self-compassion in the healing process have been proven, over the long term, to be more efficacious than some of the most potent medications. Trust that God can turn your tragedy into triumph when you stay the course. He has a higher purpose for your pain.
Call to Action: As you read today’s post, did anything resonate? Could trauma be part of your story? If so, click here to sign up for the rest of the series as we explore the neurobiology of trauma, the antidote to trauma, how to overcome a victim mindset, how to move forward from trauma, and more.
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