Trauma & Other Underlying Causes

What is Trauma?

Traumatic experiences can take any number of forms. They can occur at any stage of life. They may be clear, isolated events or several small instances that build up over time. They may be experiences that do not seem very traumatizing from an objective viewpoint but have impacted you or your loved one regardless. Some examples include:

• Abuse or neglect
• Disaster or a sudden accident
• Violence or combat
• Loss and grief
• Heartbreak or abandonment
• Illness or injury
• Stress or burnout

Living through any traumatic experience leaves a permanent mark on a person. The hope is that one day this mark can become a sign of your strength and growth, but for many, the transformation takes time and support. It’s important to be able to recognize when trauma manifests itself in ways that are potentially harmful, and even more important to know when to ask for help.

Trauma and Self-Defeating Behaviors

More often than not, the emotional turmoil of carrying trauma results in outward behaviors that negatively impact a person’s life. These self-defeating or self-destructive behaviors may cause changes or declines in the person’s health, relationships, outlook or personality. If you or your loved one has been through a traumatic experience (recently or in the past) and has not developed effective coping mechanisms, you might notice:

• Substance abuse habits
• Depression or anxiety
• Phobias
• Compulsive behaviors
• Poor self-care
• Sudden emotional outbursts, usually in response to particular triggers
• Reluctance to discuss certain topics
• Irritability or mood swings
• Personality changes including disinterest in usual activities

These behaviors can be harmful in the short and long term, both to the person experiencing them and to those around them. Someone whose mental and emotional state is influenced by trauma might have trouble understanding the consequences of their actions and habits, or might not even realize that the way they’re acting is out of the ordinary. Trauma can be very deeply seated in the psyche and as such can be hard to identify. Additionally, traumatic experiences are by definition difficult topics to discuss, so they often become bottled up instead of being processed in a healthy way.

When to Seek Treatment for Trauma

It is always a good idea to seek professional help after a traumatic experience. Many therapists are specially trained in treating people who have experienced trauma, both recently and in the past, and are experts in helping with processing trauma and developing healthy ways to cope. Of course, it is ideal to get treatment as soon as possible to prevent internalization or development of self-destructive coping mechanisms — if you or your loved one has recently been through something that is affecting them, you should schedule an appointment with a therapist right away.

But it’s not always this simple. In many cases, trauma comes to light when a person seeks treatment for something else — perhaps addiction or a mental health disorder — and realizes that past trauma is at the source of their concerns. For this reason, you should always be aware of the effects that trauma may have on an individual, and always encourage those who are showing signs of self-destructive behaviors to get treatment and discover what is at the root of their problem.