Enduring The Effects Of Trauma

Trauma can often be unavoidable, how we experience the effects of trauma can have lasting effects on our emotional and physical health. Psychological and emotional trauma results from experiencing extraordinarily stressful events that create feelings of helplessness that will shatter your sense of security and leave you struggling with anxiety and depression. 

For some people who experience emotional or psychological trauma, feelings of emotional numbness and disconnection can hinder relationships with loved ones. The anxiety produced from these feelings can be crippling, leaving people unable to properly manage their lives, which then creates a path to depression. 

What Is A Traumatic Experience?

While traumatic experiences can often involve a threat to life or personal safety, any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can also result in trauma, regardless of any physical harm being involved. Your subjective emotional experience of the event is what causes the trauma, not the events' objective circumstances. 

The bottom line is that if an experience or event leaves you feeling helpless and frightened, you are more likely to be traumatized. Some people may experience trauma from simply viewing horrific images on social media and news sources. Seeing these images repeatedly can overwhelm your nervous system and create traumatic stress. 

Trauma In This Digital Age

In this modern era of social media and technology, we are seeing an increase in anxiety, stress, and trauma resulting from prolonged exposure to negative and frightening images and ideas. Children are often greatly affected by the negative messages that they are viewing and receiving through their connections with smartphones and computers. 

Trauma can result in an adolescent as rumors spread like wildfire with the simple touch of a button. For many victims of online bullying, the idea that many people are involved in a personal matter, whether the circumstances are true or false, can become too much to bear. The stress and anxiety of this trauma can have lasting and devastating consequences. 

Fortunately, trauma does not have to dictate the course of your life. Whatever the cause of your trauma, and regardless of how long ago or recently that it occurred, you can make healing changes that allow you to lead a fulfilling life. Recognizing that you are under pressure that you are unable to manage on your own, effectively, is the first step to healing. Contact Joe Langheim LMHC, LPC, CTT for consultation and help if you or a loved one has experienced trauma and is in need of help.