Three Ways Trauma Affects You
Trauma is often associated with extreme experiences—such as physical or sexual assault, natural disasters, or witnessing violence. However, the reality is that trauma can stem from a wide variety of life events that overwhelm a person's ability to cope. These may include relational issues, grief, bullying, or childhood neglect. The important thing to remember is that everyone can experience trauma, regardless of whether they label an experience as traumatic at the time.
In essence, trauma is a disruption of the body's ability to cope with stress. Trauma doesn’t only arise from catastrophic events; rather, it’s any experience that exceeds a person’s threshold for stress tolerance. Everyone has a unique threshold, which is shaped by factors like genetics, upbringing, and previous life experiences. Therefore, trauma can affect different individuals in varying ways.
In this updated blog, we explore three key ways trauma can affect the brain, body, and relationships. Understanding these effects can help us better appreciate the far-reaching consequences of trauma and how we can work toward healing.
1. Trauma Alters the Brain: Long-Term Effects on Function and Structure
One of the most profound ways trauma impacts a person is by literally changing how the brain works. While we often think of trauma as an emotional or psychological experience, trauma also has direct and lasting effects on brain structure and function.
When a person experiences trauma, the brain goes into "fight or flight" mode, triggering the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. While this response is helpful in life-threatening situations, prolonged or repeated exposure to these hormones can cause long-term damage to brain cells. Research has shown that chronic trauma exposure can shrink critical areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus (responsible for memory) and the prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation). This leads to difficulties with memory, concentration, and emotional processing.
Moreover, trauma can make the brain hypersensitive to future threats. This hypervigilance causes the brain to overreact to stimuli that are not inherently dangerous. For example, someone who has been bitten by a dog may develop a heightened response to all dogs, even if the dog is non-threatening. In the case of trauma, the brain forms an "alarm system" that becomes difficult to turn off, leading to a state of constant anxiety and hyperarousal.
Recent Findings: Neuroimaging studies have confirmed that trauma can alter brain connectivity. For instance, a 2021 study in JAMA Psychiatry found that individuals with PTSD show altered connectivity between the amygdala (which processes emotions like fear) and the prefrontal cortex. This imbalance contributes to heightened emotional responses and difficulty regulating them.
2. Trauma Can Be Passed Down Through Generations: The Role of Epigenetics
Trauma does not only affect the person who directly experiences it—it can also have profound effects on future generations. Emerging research in epigenetics suggests that trauma can be "encoded" in the genetic material and passed down to children and even grandchildren. In simple terms, trauma can alter the way genes are expressed, influencing how future generations respond to stress and adversity.
Trauma impacts the production of short RNA molecules—tiny cellular markers that help regulate gene expression. These molecules can become altered in response to trauma, which then affects how the body and brain respond to stress. These genetic changes can persist across generations, leading to an inherited vulnerability to stress-related disorders.
Recent Findings: A 2023 study published in Nature Neuroscience explored how trauma experiences in one generation can affect the mental health of subsequent generations. Researchers found that offspring of individuals who had experienced childhood trauma showed heightened stress responses and increased anxiety. These effects were linked to changes in gene expression related to the stress response system.
Beyond genetic inheritance, trauma can also be transmitted through learned behaviors and cultural patterns. For instance, a parent who has experienced trauma may unknowingly pass on fear-based behaviors—such as excessive caution, avoidance, or mistrust of others—to their children. These learned responses may lead children to view the world as a dangerous place, even in the absence of direct threat. Psychologist Bessel van der Kolk has described how trauma survivors may unintentionally instill a sense of chronic fear and mistrust in their children through overprotectiveness, anxiety, or emotional withdrawal. Over time, these learned behaviors can significantly shape a child’s worldview and coping mechanisms.
3. Trauma Impairs Relationships: The Challenge of Trust and Intimacy
The social and emotional effects of trauma often spill over into relationships. People who have experienced trauma, especially in childhood, can struggle to form and maintain healthy relationships. This is largely due to disrupted attachment patterns and difficulties in emotional regulation.
Trauma survivors often have trouble trusting others, and they may struggle to express their emotions for fear of being vulnerable or getting hurt. Those with unresolved trauma may develop a heightened sensitivity to perceived rejection or abandonment, leading them to either become overly dependent on others or overly avoidant of closeness.
Trauma can also distort how people perceive their social environment, making them hyperaware of potential threats. This can result in either defensive behaviors, like aggression or withdrawal, or submissive behaviors aimed at avoiding conflict. Additionally, emotional regulation can be impaired, leading to outbursts of anger, anxiety, or depressive episodes.
Moving Toward Healing
While trauma can have deep and lasting effects on the brain, body, and relationships, the good news is that healing is possible. Over the past two decades, there has been significant progress in understanding effective treatments for trauma. My personal approach to treat trauma is with a treatment called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This therapeutic method has been shown to help individuals process traumatic memories and reduce the emotional charge associated with those memories. EMDR is widely endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as an effective treatment for PTSD and trauma-related disorders. When combined with a holistic approach that addresses both emotional and physiological symptoms, individuals can regain a sense of safety, stability, and connection to others. If you are struggling with the effects of trauma, seeking professional help is a critical step. Research shows that trauma therapy can significantly reduce symptoms, improve emotional regulation, and restore relationships. By investing in trauma treatment, you’re not only healing yourself but also protecting future generations from inheriting the emotional burden of your past. If you’re ready to take that step, feel free to reach out to me for a free consultation.