“Trauma survivors have symptoms instead of memories”
Harvey, M. (1990). An ecological view of psychological trauma and recovery. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9(1)
It can be really tough to try to make sense of past trauma and how it affects you in the here and now. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has a specific set of symptoms, such as nightmares and flashbacks. But the reality of complex trauma resulting from repeated traumatic events is that the effects go far beyond the symptoms outlined in the DSM.
“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds”
~LK Hamilton
How Is Trauma Affecting You Right Now?
One of the first steps in healing from trauma is to understand the problems that you are having in your life and how they might relate back to the traumas. Not every problem originates with trauma, but there are some problems that originate with trauma that you might not expect.
As you look at this image, what do you notice? Are you experiencing any of these problems in your life? Have any of these symptoms started to emerge as you are getting older?
Trauma Is Often Buried in Non-Verbal Memories
Trauma is often buried in non-verbal memories and stored in a different part of the brain than typical, chronological memories. These non-verbal trauma memories can be hazy images, familiar smells, body aches, nightmares, urges to do things that harm you (like addiction) or noticing that certain situations, colors or sounds trigger an emotional response that seems out of proportion with the situation. Over time, those non-verbal memories begin to surface and become more problematic in your life. The trauma is ready to speak and be heard. That’s when you know it’s time to seek some help.
“All emotions, even those that are suppressed and unexpressed, have physical effects. Unexpressed emotions tend to stay in the body like small ticking time bombs—they are illnesses in incubation.”
― Marilyn Van Derbur, Miss America By Day: Lessons Learned From Ultimate Betrayals And Unconditional Love
Trauma survivors are more vulnerable and susceptible to these kinds of problems or symptoms. During trauma your nervous system goes into hyper-drive, releasing stress hormones such as cortisol. These hormones prepare you for action, like running away or fighting. If you aren’t able to run or fight, then you head for other defenses like freezing in place so you might not be seen, or playing dead. Then later, when you experience triggers such as an image, smell or thought, your nervous system thinks it’s back in the past trauma and fires off cortisol again. BAM, you’re in hyper-drive again and you get overwhelmed by emotions.
So here’s the good news. You can learn to modulate your emotions as part of the healing process. With coping skills, you can dampen the emotional rollercoaster. With self-care, you become less vulnerable and can tolerate more stimuli without getting triggered. The overall result is that you feel more stable in your life, your symptom is reduced and you can regulate your emotions.
Tips To Help Trauma Survivors Right Now
If you’re experiencing a number of the symptoms above, you might want to seek therapy from a trauma professional. In the meantime, here are a couple of tips you can apply to your life:
Coping Skills: When you feel overwhelmed by emotion there are some things you can use to distract yourself for a short time. Note, these tips do not solve the problem and you’ll need to come back to it later on when you feel stronger.
- Imagine placing painful thoughts and emotions in a box and then putting that box on a shelf.
- Run your hands under very cold water. Splash cold water on your face and back of your neck. The cold distracts your body and mind away from what is causing you pain.
- Hand wash a dish very slowly. Wash just one dish and pay attention to every second of the experience. That will take you out of the past and bring you into the present.
Self Care: Do something that you find enjoyable. Tune in to one of your five senses.
- Make and drink some yummy tea (smell and taste)
- Look at a beautiful picture (sight)
- Smell a flower or some hand lotion (smell)
- Listen to soothing music (sound)
- Curl up with a fuzzy blanket or put fresh sheets on the bed (touch)
- Self-care can include a sixth sense, motion, like going for a walk or exercising or doing yoga.
Everyone needs to do self-care, such as using hemp flowers, whether they have trauma or not. We all have stressors in our lives and conscious, intentional self-care can help reduce our vulnerability to emotional stress.
Please note, these tips are not a replacement for therapy. If you are feeling overwhelmed please seek the help of a professional.
More information about Trauma Therapy: www.bayareamh.com/therapy-for-trauma
More information about Sexual Abuse and the Brain: www.bayareamh.com/blog/sexual-abuse-you-dont-just-get-over-it-pt1
Linnea Butler, LMFT
Bay Area Mental Health
Los Gatos, CA
linnea@bayareamh.com
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Photo courtesy of Unsplash. Guest author photo courtesy of Linnea Butler MFT
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G. Donald Cribbs says
March 15, 2015 at 6:00 pmGreat article. So helpful. This gave me a lot of clarity.
Regards,
Don
Linnea Butler says
March 16, 2015 at 4:39 pmThank you Don, I’m glad it was helpful. Thank you to Rachel for hosting the article.
Scott says
May 9, 2016 at 11:03 pmHi I have been dealing with anxiety, depression and all but nightmares that are on the chart.i am medicated but the running thoughts and anger and anxiety I don’t know where to find a therapist that might take trauma into consideration I can’t recall any trauma in my life. Please help
Sanchez-Cestero says
May 11, 2016 at 4:38 amThere should be a therapist specialized in trauma at your area, where do you live? I am a psychologist that works with trauma issues, as me there are plenty. visit this site and you may find a center that can help you. http://www.traumasurvivorsnetwork.org/
Rachel Thompson says
May 11, 2016 at 11:03 amthank you for responding.
Charli Mills says
March 16, 2015 at 11:29 amThis is a great article; a good reminder to be aware of triggers and responses. One thing lacking is research on women, trauma and menopause. We know that women often trigger over events such as pregnancy and child-birth, but what about the other end of the hormone spectrum? I’m curious because I’m pre-menopausal and have noticed an increase in symptoms I had long ago dealt with. Sigh. Thus I appreciate the support you give survivors, introducing articles such as this one.
Linnea Butler says
March 16, 2015 at 4:41 pmThank you Charli. I haven’t heard about a correlation between menopause and an increase in trauma symptoms, but with the changes in hormones that accompany that transition I can see how it’s possible. I will keep my eye out for research in this area. Warm regards,
Linnea
Brenda Jericho says
February 11, 2016 at 5:10 amLinnea and Charli, I have come across this post quite by accident, but am so excited about it! As a current (grumpy old menopausal) student with both PTSD and Complex PTSD – previous DSM version) I spent last year coming apart at the seams, and thoroughly thoroughly researching Psych databases on the impact of menopause on PTSD symptoms and visa versa. Zilch. Nada. Zero. The closest I got was a conversation with an very good psychiatrist, who estimated that FORTY PERCENT OF HIS PRACTICE were women with childhood trauma that was now being exacarbated by the process of menopause.
I’ve continue to hunt and search out resources on both the impact of menopause, long term stress, and the long term effects of trauma, and while there are ‘threads’ that link things together, I have still not found any explicit research.
Here’s my theory (which I will one day research, public, find an instant cure for, write a book about, and become rich and famous … hah!!!) … in much the same way that more tangible environmental events can trigger the onset of flashbacks or other PTSD symptoms (e.g. backfiring car exhaust causes ex vet to dive under nearest car for cover etc), I believe that the experience of a particular EMOTION can trigger the ‘recharging’ (technically it’s called ‘kindling’) and re-experiencing of trauma states. Because one of the effects of menopause can be to utterly unstabilise progesterone and oestrogen levels, which are critical hormones in the experience of emotion, going through menopause can generate all sorts of weird and wonderful emotions, that are highly variable both in how many you can feel in a day, and the depth to which you can feel them. So far research shows menopause can ‘trigger’ depression, anxiety, and panic attacks in women, BUT NO ONE HAS MADE ANY LINKS TO PRE-EXISTING EXPERIENCES OF TRAUMA in terms of researching this.
That was all a bit waffly: simply put, menopause throws our hormone levels around, which can in some women generate both extreme and varied emotions. If childhood trauma generated some of these same sorts of emotions, or other trauma experiences, then the emotions in the present trigger the emotions from the past – so you end up with a double-whammy.
The good news is that HRT, depending on the individual, can really tone the extent of the emotional experiences down, and this, in conjunction with therapy, allows for the exploration and resolution of some of the childhood/previous trauma stuff.
I have been meaning for a while to set up a Facebook page where women can share their experiences around this, as a starting point to gathering at least anecdotal evidence, that can then lead to formal research. I am REALLY interested in hearing from anyone who has noticed an increase in symptoms of PTSD during menopause (note: hormone levels fluctuate, so might occur at onset – or not; might occur 5 years later – or not etc. etc. etc.)
Kind regards,
Brenda.
Nancy says
February 14, 2016 at 10:55 amHi Brenda
I’ve also wondered about the links between hormones and mental health. I’ve worked in the field for a number of years, mostly in community-based First Nations mental health services. But when I worked at a hospital, one of the things I came across were numerous comments by inpatients about their sex drive being through the roof when they were unstable. So – take away the libido aspect, and look at the hormones that are in play at that time. I think there is something significant going on, but the R&D people don’t seem to either (a) talk about research findings in that way, or (b) seem interested in exploring hormones specific roles in either manifestation or medication. Perhaps it’s because anything hormonal (i.e. menopause) is seen as too “hysterical” for the (male-driven) science of psychiatry and psychology.
Brenda Jericho says
April 12, 2016 at 6:33 amNancy, your email made me chuckle .. what an interesting set of conversations to have with your clients! The sexual arousal stuff can be explained by the the whole fight/flight thing … when humans are confronted with stressful circumstances (e.g. big scarey anything), what kicks in is what is called our fight/flight response system. However, the name is a bit misleading … there are four recognisable physiologically based responses that can happen:
1. lots of adrenaline pumps through our system and we gear up to fight the scarey monster
2. lots of adrenaline pumps through our system and we run away from the scarey monster
3. interactions happen with our hormones, and we suddenly want to have wild sex
4. our system hits overload, and we freeze.
Note that we can actually go through some or all of these in any order, or experience just one. My uni lecturer called these the ‘Four F’s’ of a fear response: Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fornicate …!!!
I don’t know what research has been done on individuals experienceing instability at a mental health level, but since the same physiological systems are kicking in, it stands to reason that heightened sexual arousal can be part of a perfectly normal response to heightened anxiety, and that for those of us who experience psychological ill health, since we often experience anxiety to an extreme degree, that any or all of the Four F responses are likely to be extreme as well.
Eek! What a long sentence! Does that make sense? What do you think?
I also really agree with your last sentence …. fortunately (see post below) studies are now being done in the role of oestrogen in managing the Four F responses … will post some links later in the week.
Ginny Barker says
February 24, 2016 at 1:13 pmI am so interested in whatever you can find out about menopause, emotions, and childhood trauma and would love to have an ongoing conversation. How can this happen?
Brenda Jericho says
April 12, 2016 at 6:22 amHi Ginny, apologies for delay … I temporarily lost the website address for this conversation, and have only just discovered responses!! Since my original post, have come across some really specific research that examines the role of oestrogen (that’s how we spell it here in Australia!) in moderating the stress/startle response … the lower the levels of oestrogen, the higher our level of arousal in response to stressful stimuli. I am just going to zip through the responses tonight, but later in the week will post three of the most useful things I have found so far, including a fantastic TED video on the long term effects of childhood trauma. Yes, it would be great to have an ongoing conversation, not sure how to make it happen though? any ideas???!! I’m happy to post my student email address … sooo many firewalls etc around it I think that would be reasonable safe!!
What do you think?
Jennifer M. says
March 10, 2016 at 3:41 pmHi Everyone, I can relate to the comments made regarding what can be experienced as a difficult transition from perimenopause to menopause experience as it relates to CPTSD. I am currently in recovery from Complex PTSD. I am no longer in therapy and I no longer take psychiatric medications since don’t need them. I still see my naturopath occasionally because I still consider her a necessary part of my healing team. I found that neither male psychiatrists or most MDs are not the most sympathetic or trauma informed healthcare professionals. I would not advise any fellow trauma survivor to look to them for advice when it comes to healing from either trauma or transitioning to menopause. I consciously seek out the services of those who are trauma survivor friendly which means that the person has some capacity for empathy for a childhood sexual abuse survivor.
The connection between the experience of CPTSD and women’s hormonal changes seems pretty straightforward to me. People with childhood trauma histories are people who experience emotional dysregulation. Experiencing changes in the hormonal balance in progesterine and estrogen can have a dysregulating effect. This type of condition does not facilitate complex trauma healing for obvious reasons. Close to a year after I formally stopped seeing my trauma therapist (because I no longer was experiencing CPTSD and I felt I was healing), my hormones started going wacko. I was bleeding for 4 to 5 weeks straight. I became very irritable. I talked to both my psychiatrist and my art therapist (she also does trauma therapy) because I was concerned about my mood state. I remember being in a coffee shop, waiting in line for what felt like a long time and then turning to my husband and saying, “We need to leave now. I feel like I am going to kill someone”. I wasn’t actually going to kill someone, but it was a sign that I was feeling VERY emotionally dysregulated, uncharacteristically so… Needless to say, my husband and I left the coffee shop without any coffee in hand. After consulting with both my psychiatrist (who was also simultaneously helping me get off of psychiatric mediations) and my OB/GYN, I decided to go on birth control pills for a short period of time because I felt that the emotionally dysregulating aspect of perimenopause was not helping me with my recovery efforts. I felt much better within a month. I was no longer feeling the intensity of emotions that I felt was wearing me down. I’m sharing this story with you because I know I am not the only survivor in recovery struggling with this experience. I think my experience is quite common. Believe me, though, feeling emotionally dysregulated after doing intense trauma work was disconcerting to say the least! I was working so hard with mindfulness, dual awareness, meditation, etc. Just when everything had started to settle, just as I was finishing up the trauma work, I had to deal with my hormones!
But, on the positive side, I feel fortunate because I am much more aware of my emotions and present to them than many other women who are not trauma survivors. My naturopath says that many non-trauma survivor patients come in “yelling and screaming” at her because they do not have the skills to deal with emotional dysregulation. I found that surprising. I think my naturopath said this to me to normalize the experience. When I was experiencing CPTSD I was living in a bubble, and I started relating all of my experiences to the survivor experience. And in reality, some of what I came to learn, is that some of what experience actually has nothing to do with it. It’s just part of being a human or being a woman. You know, women who are not trauma survivors can be emotionally dysregulated too. I’ve done a lot of trauma work. I know, for myself, that trauma healing requires attentiveness to self care, diet, meditation, exercise, supplements, etc. When I don’t attend to these things, my progress seems to become derailed. So, in answer to the question about research, I don’t really think it matters. While it might be nice to know what the link might be between the two conditions, what’s more important is how we choose to respond to our situation. What I learned as part of my own trauma recovery is that we always have choices. We can choose to identify with our relative strengths or our relative weaknesses. Being able to acknowledge that as a trauma survivor, you are a bit more vulnerable, you will feel the hormonal shift because perhaps you are more sensitive or in tune with your body. And it’s all okay because it’s part of the human experience, menopause is part of the natural process of getting older. There are many wise women healers out there in the form of healers, shamans, naturopaths that can help us with out respective journeys. I would recommend that any trauma survivor with these experience seek out a reputable naturopath that can help you with your immune system. The immune system, our moods, our hormones are all interconnected (it’s called psychoneuroimmunology)…the more you learn about that and your body’s natural healing capacities, the better you will be able to take on the role of your own healer. I like Mark Hyman’s book too, The UltraMind Solution as a great resource for trauma survivors. Although it’s not written for this audience, his suggestions are pretty much in alignment with my naturopath’s thoughts on healing the body and mind. Everything is connected and Mark Hyman reminds us of that important message. Herbs are great too. Good luck to everyone on their respective trauma journeys. <3
Thank you for creating this blog Linnea and offering a platform for Rachel's work. We haven't spoken for a while. I hope you are doing well. 🙂
Rachel Thompson says
May 14, 2016 at 12:01 amHi Jennifer — Rachel here! Welcome to my blog, actually 🙂 I’m thrilled to have Linnea as my guest and even more thrilled that her guest post has generated so many wonderful, honest, and brave comments. I appreciate all your amazing information and hope many others will benefit from your share.
Thank you again for visiting and hope we see you back soon. Best, Rachel xx
Janet Blair says
May 7, 2016 at 5:35 pmHi, just read this and thank you for it. Yes, I had that response during and after menopause. I do think that that is only part of why it came out now, but a critical thing to examine. If you start a group, count me in!
Cynthia Tamlyn says
February 22, 2016 at 12:20 pmI’ve noticed the same thing Charli mentions. I thought I’d worked through all my trauma but at 48 and peri-menopausal I’ve noticed a huge increase in my startle response in particular. My anxiety levels are unusually high as well.
I’m going to ask my neurologist about this as I’m also epileptic and testing just determined that at least some of my panic attacks are partial seizures.
I’m a clinical aromatherapist and work with children and adults impacted by early trauma so I do use a lot olfactory supports for my panic attacks/anxiety. I find aromatherapy has been very helpful in controlling putting the breaks on a panic attack.
I have clients that use aromatherapy to support sleep disturbances, anger management, and more.
Brenda Jericho says
April 12, 2016 at 6:38 amHi Cynthia, really interesting reading your response, especially because you specifically mentioned your startle response … this is one of those physiological responses that directly relates to activation of our fight/flight mechanism (or more accurately, the Four f’s … see above), and the other day I came across a very specific piece of research that made a very clear link between oestrogen levels and the startle response … if you’re interested, will post it here.
I’m playing catchup here a little bit, having lost where I filed this website on my computer, so it’s a bit too late in the evening to continue typing, but I do have some questions re what you have discovered re aromatherapy and PTSD! Next time …!
Janet Blair says
May 7, 2016 at 5:38 pmInclude me in on this conversation. I’m interested Cynthia which aromas to use for what . Any specific ideas?
Shirley H. says
May 13, 2016 at 8:09 pmAfter beginning menopause, my daughter began to slide downward. After being a non-smoker for over 20 years, she began smoking again. After being drug free as well, she began drinking and then developed an addiction to opiates. She has had 2 relationships with men who were very toxic and luckily she managed to end those, but has not managed to get her life together. Even she agrees with me that menopause was a factor in her behavior. She is a survivor of trauma. She needs help, but so far has not made an effort to obtain it even though I have offered to pay for it.
Gail says
January 31, 2019 at 8:40 amHow about Fibromyalgia?
Is there a corrilation between Trauma and Fibro to the best of your knowledge?
TIA
Jonathan Pratt (jaklumen) says
March 16, 2015 at 12:36 pmGreat article, Linnea. Is the handwashing a dish exercise a mindfulness one? I still need to look at that book you recommended. It’s exciting to see how mindfulness is being incorporated more and more.
Linnea Butler says
March 16, 2015 at 4:44 pmThanks so much. Yes, the hand washing exercise is a mindfulness practice. I use this skill in my DBT groups, but I believe it originally came from Thich Nhat Hanh. I highly recommend any of his books if you’re interested in mindfulness.
Warm regards,
Linnea
Amanda Taylor says
March 20, 2015 at 10:52 amThis is a helpful article. You did touch on complex trauma aka CPTSD which I am a survivor of. I am still coming to grips with some of those buried time bombs and for my self care when I get jacked up I am usually exercising or escaping reality by writing.
Linnea Butler says
March 22, 2015 at 7:32 amHi Amanda,
I’m glad the article was helpful for you. CPTSD is so difficult because the symptoms invade daily life and sometimes it’s hard to understand where they come from. I wish you all the best in your healing journey. It does get better. I just posted an article with tips on mindfulness that might be helpful for you when you get triggered: http://goo.gl/yVnDyZ
Warm regards,
Linnea
Carolbcool says
March 24, 2015 at 8:08 amThanks for sharing….
Moon Girl says
January 23, 2016 at 5:14 pmVery informative post. Some information of which I have gleaned for my blog. I would love to link to it in a future post.
Nancy says
February 14, 2016 at 10:46 amI really appreciate the visual you used for this. Interestingly, you didn’t touch on inter-generational trauma which carries many of the same symptoms, but without the experiences of the parents’ traumas. I see this a lot – particularly with my clients who are First Nations and Metis people. To date, although the discussion of epigenetics is happening in some research and academic circles, it’s not yet taking hold very well in front-line clinical settings. It’s an area that really needs a lot more focus since there are so many people who are carrying their parents’ and grandparents’ trauma histories.
Linnea Butler says
February 15, 2016 at 12:00 amHi Nancy,
You make a good point, and intergenerational trauma is a fascinating and poorly understood phenomenon. If you work a lot with First Nations then I can well imagine you see a lot of this. Epigenetics do play a part, but I think that isn’t the full story.
Warmly,
Linnea
OMAR BAHAR says
February 22, 2016 at 7:37 amPERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE SHARED WITH THE TRAUMA SURVIVORS ARE USEFUL LESSONS TO LEARN AND KNOW ABOUT.
THIS IS QUITE AN EYE OPENER FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF SUCH SICKNESS WHICH CAN BE EASILY CURED WITH GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENCE.
MANY THANKS FOR SHARING AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU.
OMAR
Shirley says
February 23, 2016 at 8:43 amThank you for this article, Rachel. The title of it reminds me of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s book, “The Body Keeps the Score.”
Media and the entertainment industry don’t accurately describe trauma and PTSD. We see visions of soldiers thinking they are in battle, and memories recorded as scenes. Obviously, the media has to interpret trauma in some sort of visual way, but they have yet to find a way to interpret the physical, bodily manifestations that the individual feels. Thank you for some of the mindfulness suggestions.
Survivor says
February 24, 2016 at 12:17 amLENS neurofeedback is the number one treatment for brain injury and ptsd. It has saved my life. I highly, highly recommend it as someone with debilitating lifelong symptoms that are, finally, at 41, going away. I believe in neuroplasticity, nutrition, and more….but it is really hard to get a steadfast grip when you have 99.9% of the above symptoms, plus the severe hormone imbalances that H-P-A axis damage almost always cause. My injury was severe and happened in infancy. Then there were decades of emotional trauma. I have tried to fix myself a million times ever, spent every dime on it. You don’t feel like this and NOT make curing yourself your life pursuit. I will likely become a neurofeedback technician soon enough because of how miraculous it is. Truly, trying to consciously rewire an automated response is borderline ridiculously impossible: the amygdala cares very little about conscious thinking. Affirmations help, all of it helps. But it is almost is an exercise in futility, and because trauma operates at such a core level. Never give up!
sami_snst says
February 5, 2017 at 3:31 pmThank you for the article, especially the part where the time bombs going off in the body relating to memories. And that is a signal that it’s time to deal with them. I had gone through a 5 year intensive psychotic beak in my mid-twenties because I had just never told anyone about the abuses and rapes. It took 5 years, meds that sometimes made it worse, so many different theraists and therapies, and hospitalization after hospitalization, but I made it to a point of stability.
I spent the next 7 years working my way up to finally having my own apartment and being able to hold down and excel at a full time job. Then 2 years ago my body started going bonkers with pains, irritability, and all sorts of things. Then last year new memories with the associated body sensations came. I am back in therapy, and I have been for a year.
Its not as bad as the first time cause I know I can make it through, but OVERWHELMED is often my daily state of being.
Linnea Butler says
February 5, 2017 at 5:05 pmI’m sorry it has been a rough road for you but am glad to hear that you’re reconnected with a therapist. Yes, you made it through before and you WILL make it through this time as well. My heart goes out to you.
You might also enjoy the book The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. He’s the leading trauma researcher in the country.
Gail says
January 31, 2019 at 8:41 amHow about Fibromyalgia?
Is there a corrilation between Trauma and Fibro to the best of your knowledge?
TIA
Rachel Thompson says
February 2, 2019 at 1:37 pmHi Gail, there’s plenty of data out there which shows a correlation between trauma, PTSD and immune system disorders. I just did a quick Google search and TONS of info popped up. Here’s that search: is there a link between childhood trauma and fibromyalgia – Google Search https://buff.ly/2RA64xO in case you want to look for yourself.
I wrote about having chronic pain and immune disorders here on this blog last October so check that out as well – some of the links in there might be helpful also.
You’re definitely not alone in this! #hugs