You’ve pushed these feelings deep down inside you for far too long. No matter what you do, you can’t seem to get rid of them. All of your negative thoughts, emotions, and feelings are starting to creep up again. You feel like a volcano that’s ready to explode.
To be honest, you thought you’d be able to handle this on your own. Growth takes time, right? You assumed that if a certain amount of time passed, you’d be back to your normal self again.
But time has passed, and you still feel the same way. You now know that you can’t really circle a date on a calendar and have that mark the day that you’ll be okay again. There’s a larger issue at play that you may not be able to handle on your own.
Let’s learn more about the signs of trauma.
What are the Signs of Trauma?
When any type of trauma is left untreated, it can impact the individual for months or even years after the event initially occurred. Since trauma is often a negative or disturbing event in someone’s life, it can be difficult for them to take the time to process their emotions, thoughts, and feelings associated with it. A lot of the time, someone will push how they really feel deep inside of themselves, which can lead to the trauma being stored in their body.
There isn’t a right or wrong way to process trauma. Trauma is unique to each individual depending on the cause and the person affected. That being said, there are common signs and symptoms that can present themselves among victims of traumatic events.
Let’s look at some of the most common signs and symptoms of trauma that can present themself in an individual.
Cognitive
The emotional impact of trauma can have long-term cognitive effects. These are some of the most common cognitive signs and symptoms of trauma:
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Flashbacks
- Intrusive thoughts
- Lack of concentration
- Loss of memory
- Mood swings
- Nightmares
Behavioral
An individual’s behavior can also be affected due to experiencing trauma. Trauma can make a person feel like they no longer have control over certain aspects of their life. In order to feel like they have control again, they may start to change some of their behaviors as a way to cope with how they’re feeling. These are some of the most common behavioral signs and symptoms of trauma:
- Avoidance
- Lack of interest in things that once brought joy
- Poor impulse control
- Social isolation or withdrawal
Physical
Trauma can also present itself physically. These are some of the most common physical signs and symptoms of trauma:
- Changes in sleeping patterns
- Chronic pain
- Fatigue
- Easily startled
- Eating too much or not eating enough
- Hypervigilance
- Increased heart rate
- Insomnia
- Muscle aches and pains
- On edge
- Sexual dysfunction
Psychological
Since there isn’t a right or a wrong way to process trauma, individuals will often experience and react to trauma in different ways. One individual may even experience a wide range of different signs and symptoms.
These are some of the most common psychological signs and symptoms of trauma:
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Detachment
- Depression
- Fear
- Emotional dysregulation
- Emotional numbing
- Emotional shock
- Guilt
- Irritability
- Panic attacks
- Shame
Next Steps
Recovering from trauma takes time. No matter how much you want to bury the trauma deep down inside of yourself, one of the best ways to move forward from it is by recognizing it and working through all of the negative thoughts, emotions, and feelings that you’re experiencing.
You don’t have to deal with these signs and symptoms all on your own. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to reach out for help. A licensed and trained mental health professional will be able to help you work through how you’re feeling and give you ways to cope in order to move forward and get you back to living your life to the fullest again.
Recovery is possible. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation for trauma therapy.