Trauma affects all of us. Whether you have been through a traumatic event yourself or you know someone who has suffered from trauma, the side effects can be debilitating. Not only that, but they can also last for many years beyond the traumatic experience. If left untreated, responses to trauma can last a lifetime. Recognizing trauma’s ability to permeate every aspect of your life can motivate you to get the help you need.
Trauma and the Mind
Trauma can lead to stress, depression, or anxiety in daily life. While these side effects can be devastating on their own, people often find ways to cope with them without seeking treatment. In lieu of professional help, trauma survivors often choose to self-medicate with drugs or other substances to help control the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Substance abuse and trauma go hand-in-hand. Many people who struggle with substance abuse also struggle with untreated trauma. This isn’t a coincidence. Drugs and alcohol often get credit for alleviating stress and reducing anxiety. However, they have the opposite effect.
Trauma and the Body
Perhaps if everyone knew about trauma’s ability to consistently harm the body, more people would seek treatment. Trauma wreaks havoc on the body.
Sleep and the Immune System
Studies have shown that PTSD can severely inhibit the body’s ability to sleep or even rest in general. Your circadian rhythms dictate your body’s ability to adapt to environmental changes, perpetuate healthy cellular activity, and respond to stressful situations. Without regular sleep, your physical and mental health decline. Your quality of life is severely compromised, and the ability to fight off foreign viruses and toxins is significantly reduced.
Somatic Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases
In addition to a compromised immune system, it has been proven that there is a high comorbidity between PTSD and somatic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. This means that trauma that is allowed to run rampant throughout your life without professional help can make you sick. Not only that, it can keep you sick.
Trauma Treatment
You may believe that you’re capable of healing your own mind. Many people think they are beyond therapy, that it doesn’t have a place in their life. Even if that were true, your body needs all the help it can get to fight disease and sickness. Avoiding professional help hurts your chances to succeed in life physically.
Trauma hurts. It won’t stop hurting until you take a stand and get the help you need to heal it properly. Giving every aspect of your life the health it deserves means reaching out to professionals who can provide you with the tools you need to recover from the wounds trauma has inflicted. The Guest House has the professional help you need. Not only that, we can teach you to cope with trauma in the real world every day of your life. Call (855) 483-7800 for more information on our trauma treatment.