Most of us are aware of the profound impact that trauma can have on our mental health and emotional well-being.
Countless research studies and even social media are awash with information on how traumatic experiences affect the brain and what type of symptoms to watch out for.
For instance, common psychological symptoms of trauma include anxiety (which is often referred to by trauma therapists as ‘hyperarousal’) and depression (‘hypoarousal’), which is when your nervous system shuts down and you feel numb or frozen.
Other psychological symptoms include:
- Flashbacks
- Dissociation
- Uncontrollable anger
- Intrusive negative thoughts and beliefs
- Avoidance: you may avoid people, places or objects that remind you of the traumatic event you experienced
- Drug and alcohol abuse to cope with unpleasant symptoms or painful memories
If you’ve experienced chronic adversity or stress, it’s vital you recognise the psychological symptoms of trauma so that you can get the help and support you need to recover.
However, what’s least known or openly discussed is the physical effects of trauma on our health and bodies.
According to leading trauma experts, trauma doesn’t just affect the mind – it leaves lasting imprints on the body as well.
Unfortunately, conventional treatments like talk therapy only address the psychological aspects of trauma, but this only treats half the problem.
Therefore, it’s vital, when seeking help for your symptoms, that you work with a team that treats trauma holistically, incorporating the mind, body, and spirit.
This article covers the 5 main ways trauma shows up in the body.
In the meantime, if you are concerned about yourself (or a loved one) and would like further help and support for your symptoms, contact the Camino Recovery team today, who can help.
How we can help
At Camino Recovery, we specialise in diagnosing and treating various types of trauma and co-occurring disorders like anxiety and depression.
We use a comprehensive approach, combining different therapies and techniques to ensure you get the best recovery outcome possible.
This approach is designed to give you confidence in your treatment and reassure you that you are in good hands.
Our treatment programs include:
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
- Experiential treatments, such as Yoga, Art Therapy, Equine Therapy, and Camino’s Holistic and Wellness Programme
The above treatments can help address both the emotional and physical effects of trauma as they integrate the mind and body, enabling you to heal and recover from trauma fully.
If you are concerned you may be experiencing symptoms of trauma, contact our specialist team today in confidence, who can provide further information about our trauma treatment programmes.
Five ways trauma shows up in the body
When someone experiences something traumatic, such as an accident, the sudden loss of a loved one, or more chronic forms of adversity like childhood trauma or early attachment ruptures, the body processes the event alongside the brain.
This can lead to physical symptoms that linger long after the traumatic event has passed.
Understanding how trauma shows up in the body is a crucial step towards lasting healing.
It highlights the potential for holistic approaches to address both the physical and psychological effects of trauma, cultivating hope and optimism in the recovery process.
Outlined below are 5 ways that trauma can manifest in the body.
1. Digestive problems
The brain and gut are closely related; trauma can disrupt this balance.
When we are under severe stress or pressure, our bodies release cortisol. This hormone can help us react to stress appropriately and regulate our body’s response.
Although helpful, cortisol, particularly in excessive amounts, can directly impact digestion, causing gastrointestinal issues like bloating, nausea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and stomach cramps.
It’s important to acknowledge that many trauma survivors experience digestive issues. Yet, these symptoms are often dismissed or attributed to other factors, such as an unhealthy diet, lifestyle, or unfortunate genetics.
Recognising the prevalence of these issues can help individuals feel validated and understood in their experiences.
Not doing so can lead to chronic digestive issues as the root cause of the person’s symptoms (trauma) remains unaddressed.
2. Chronic pain
Unaddressed trauma often results in chronic physical pain, including back pain and tension in the neck, shoulders, and jaw.
This is due to the body remaining in a heightened state of stress, often called fight-or-flight.
This stress response, which prepares the body to either fight or flee from a perceived threat, causes your muscles and joints to tighten, resulting in ongoing pain and discomfort.
For individuals with chronic pain, the pain itself can act as a constant reminder of the traumatic event, often exacerbating symptoms of PTSD.
Survivors of physical, psychological, or sexual abuse are particularly at risk of developing specific types of chronic pain later in life.
There are several reasons why trauma can contribute to chronic pain.
For instance, trauma symptoms, such as hyperarousal (feeling on edge, constantly alert, and ‘on guard’), can cause physical pain.
This heightened state of anxiety and hypervigilance often leads to muscle tension, which, over time, can become chronic.
One trauma survivor shared their story with chronic pain:
“I’d wake up in the morning, and my arms and legs would be in agony – I’d be sleeping in such a tight position that my joints just couldn’t handle the constant tension.”
Additionally, prolonged dysregulation of cortisol levels caused by trauma can deplete the adrenal glands. This imbalance raises prolactin levels, which, in turn, increases pain sensitivity.
On top of this, many individuals with trauma find themselves unable to engage in regular exercise, which further contributes to physical discomfort and worsens chronic pain over time.
3. Chronic fatigue
Many trauma survivors suffer from chronic fatigue and low energy.
This is because trauma, particularly chronic stress, can leave individuals feeling constantly drained mentally and physically.
Remember earlier we spoke about hyperarousal, which is when the body moves into a numb or shutdown state?
Chronic fatigue and low energy are often the result of a dissociated, shutdown nervous system.
In this state, the individual is stuck in either a hyper-aroused (fight-or-flight) or shutdown (freeze) state, which can drain their energy levels over time.
Why does this happen?
Trauma and prolonged stress can significantly impact various brain regions, including the HPA axis – a delicate system that regulates communication between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands.
Disruptions in this system can have profound and lasting effects on the body.
Research suggests that childhood trauma, in particular, is a significant risk factor for developing chronic fatigue syndrome later in life.
Additionally, fatigue and exhaustion are frequently reported symptoms in individuals living with trauma, further highlighting the association between trauma and physical depletion.
4. Sleep issues
Persistent sleep disturbances are another way that trauma shows up in the body.
Many trauma survivors report chronic sleep issues like insomnia, nightmares, or restless sleep.
These issues often result from hypervigilance or recurring intrusive thoughts and memories that can make it challenging for individuals to relax and get a restful night’s sleep.
In addition, a lack of sleep or proper rest can exacerbate existing symptoms and cause a vicious cycle where the individual experiences more profound symptoms of PTSD and trauma.
Trauma experts say that maintaining a consistent sleep routine, sleeping where one feels safe and secure, and engaging in relaxing activities such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practising meditation can help people relax and unwind, which can help them get a proper night’s rest.
5. Tremors and muscle tension
Trauma can cause your muscles and joints to tighten up, causing your body to remain in a defensive position despite no apparent threat or cause for concern.
In addition, trauma survivors may also experience shaking or tremors, which is the body’s way of attempting to release any ‘stored’ tension and stress.
These tremors may be exacerbated during times of stress or when recalling traumatic memories.
Somatic therapies, such as breathwork, yoga, and mindfulness, can help improve these symptoms by releasing stored stress and trauma trapped within the body.
Trapped trauma can manifest as muscle tension, tremors, or other physical symptoms, and somatic therapies aim to release these manifestations.
The above approaches help to ease tension, reduce blood pressure, and promote deep relaxation, addressing healing at a cellular level.
The body as a “memory keeper” in trauma
Sigmund Freud, a renowned psychoanalyst and thought leader, hypothesised that the human mind comprises three main parts: the ID, Ego, and Superego.
He believed these personality parts are primarily unconscious and control much of our desires and decisions.
While highly influential in modern therapeutic practices, Freud’s model can be limiting as it ties the unconscious primarily to the brain.
This focus often directs therapy toward addressing thoughts and behaviours, which can be helpful but only tackle part of an individual’s presenting issues.
The other half, the body, must also be addressed for individuals to experience complete recovery from their symptoms.
Trauma experts like Bessel van der Kolk describe the body as the “unconscious mind”, suggesting the body stores memories of traumatic events, even when the conscious mind has long forgotten or buried them.
Inherently, trauma lives in the body, influencing our health, behaviours and emotions long after the traumatic events have subsided.
Van der Kolk states that traumatic memories can resurface through physical symptoms or behaviours instead of more obvious verbal expressions.
For instance, someone who experienced childhood trauma may suffer from chronic neck or back pain, even though they do not link these ailments to their childhood.
On the other hand, an individual may experience intense anxiety or anger without understanding why.
Here, the person’s body is recalling the traumatic experiences unconsciously.
You must think of the body as a “memory keeper”, an addition of the unconscious mind, particularly when understanding chronic stress and adversity.
Why is this so important?
When it comes to treating trauma, talk therapy has its uses, but as a standalone therapy, it often isn’t enough.
There needs to be more focus on somatic therapies as well as behavioural approaches for individuals to get the most successful, lasting recovery outcomes.
Somatic therapies include:
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing): This treatment targets unprocessed trauma stored in the body and mind. Once released, the individual no longer has such an emotional tie to their traumatic history and can reflect on their past without experiencing intense distress.
- Yoga or breathwork: These techniques help calm and recalibrate your nervous system, promoting a sense of safety in the body.
- Schema therapy: This treatment helps you explore and process any unconscious patterns or unhelpful beliefs related to your traumatic past.
- Experiential therapy: Techniques such as Art Therapy, movement, dance, and Equine Therapy can help you tap into your creative side and express yourself in non-verbal ways, which help promote mind and body healing.
Bottom line
Our bodies serve as a type of memory storage and are an extension of the unconscious mind when it comes to understanding trauma.
Recognising the physical effects of trauma and chronic stress is vital for healing and addressing all the parts that need to be explored and unpacked for an individual to make a successful recovery.
By addressing trauma holistically – through both the mind and body, those who have experienced trauma can begin to release the pain from their past and find peace and recovery.
Our friendly, supportive team at Camino Recovery has a wealth of experience and knowledge in diagnosing and treating various types of trauma, using a wide range of evidence-based therapies and approaches, including behavioural, experiential, and trauma-informed treatments.
Contact our professional team today to learn more about our trauma treatment programs and how we can guide you on the path to lasting healing and transformation.
We are here and ready to help.
