Why do I need to know about psychological trauma?
What happens in the past doesn’t necessarily stay in the past…
Each and every one of our experiences in life has the possibility of leaving a mark, and the existence of this imprint depends on the emotional impact that comes from the experience. This means that, the greater the intensity of an experience, the higher the possibility of being emotionally impacted by it. Knowing this is essential, as the emotions that impact us are what determine how we think, how we perceive ourselves and the world around us, affecting the way our lives unravel.
Imprints from the past that negatively condition the present = trauma
Emotional marks can be positive or negative, a strength or a weakness, depending on the effects they have on us. These imprints have the potential of increasing our self esteem, allowing us to be the best versión of ourselves or, the total opposite. Our emotional scars can belittle us, making us feel insecure and even incapable of having (and sustaining) healthy relationships. When the latter happens, we are facing trauma.
Where can I locate these marks? They are present in what we think, how we feel and in our bodies. Many times, we may not even be aware of their existence, just noticing how they manifest.
Did you know that trauma can influence our lives without us noticing and that its effects can start to show up years after the traumatic event?
The problem is, that the unconscious processing of trauma is always active, having a deep influence in our day to day life. Also, it is important to note that the symptoms of trauma can take time to surface and may manifest years after the traumatic event took place.
And now, what do I do with my trauma?
Do not fear. Even though we cannot change the past, we can transform its meaning and shift the impact it has on our present. It is possible to reach trauma and liberate the embedded emotions, erasing the negative effect that certain marks have had on us. This results in an improvement of our self esteem, our mental and emotional health and, overall, our quality of life.
We all have traumas. You cannot avoid them. The issue is not having gone through trauma, but rather, the consciousness around its existence. Trauma is not the experience per se, it is the result of being exposed to emotionally intense events that transcended our coping mechanisms.
The emotional weight that comes with trauma, is what negatively influences the way we think, how we feel, our relationships and our physical well being. Thus, ideas such as ”I’m not good enough”, “I don’t deserve to be loved”, “I’m insecure” or even “ I’m damaged”, do not show who you are as a person, but rather the existence of active trauma. Likewise, behind relationship issues and physical illness, there are stagnant emotions. Our task is to find the emotional roots of our symptoms and from there, stop replicating destructive patterns.
Our brain has the ability to heal trauma by itself… But not always.
Our brain has the ability to process trauma and many are resolved with the passing of time but, there are others that due to their intensity perdure (and we might need some help with them). When this happens, emotions get stuck and stronger with time, generating symptoms that we do not control; our life is then conditioned by the imprints we call trauma.
It is critical that we recognize the existence of psychological trauma and reach out to specialists when we feel that things get out of control and that neither us, nor the people in our lives are able to help us with changing what is causing significant suffering. When you dive into this and are not with a trauma specialist, there is the risk of receiving a msidiagnosis such as depression, psychosis, personality disorders, among others. These impair the healing of the patient and, worse, deepen their condition by increasing suffering.
If you wish to learn more about therapy and how to choose a path towards a healthier life, I invite you to read What’s going on with therapy?