Do You Have Unprocessed Trauma? A Few Signs to Look For
Have you ever wondered why some of us develop addictions, have flashbacks, or have “unexplained” depression? It may be because of unprocessed trauma. But before we jump into what unprocessed trauma looks like, let’s first define each of those small, but complex words.
What is trauma?
According to the DSM-5, the symptoms of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) are part of four main groups: intrusion symptoms, avoidance behaviors, mood changes, and physical reactivity. Intrusion symptoms may look like nightmares about the trauma, dissociation, or intrusive memories. Avoidance may look like physical avoidance of a certain place or possibly avoidance of a specific topic. Changing in mood may be depression, anxiety, guilt, or feelings of isolation. And finally, physical reactivity refers to our body telling us that something is wrong, like sleep changes or anger outbursts.
Trauma can mean different things to different people. For some, an unhealthy relationship with a parent can be traumatic. For others, a car accident may come to mind when they think of trauma. The key thing to remember is that everyone’s trauma is different, and none of them are “bigger” or “worse” than others.
What does “unprocessed” mean?
When an event, relationship, or emotion is unprocessed, that means that we may still be attaching negative thoughts, behaviors, or emotions to it. For example, if I witnessed a robbery at a bank when I was younger and I still am not able to go into a bank, I may still have unprocessed trauma to work through. Emotional trauma can be a little more difficult for us to fully know if it has been processed.
How do I know if I have unprocessed trauma?
Some of the first signs that you may have unprocessed trauma would be if you identified with any of the criteria for PTSD, especially physical reactivity. Our body is often the first part of us that notices that something may be triggering us. You may feel yourself tense up, your heart race, or your hands clench. A few other signs and symptoms of unprocessed trauma are:
1. Anxiety or panic attacks that occur in situations that would otherwise be considered normal
2. A feeling of shame or feeling like you are worthless
3. Suffering from chronic depression
4. Addictions and eating disorders
5. Suicidal thoughts or actions
6. Self-harm
7. Unexplained or “irrational” fear of people, places, or things
Okay, I think I might have unprocessed trauma. Now what?
Luckily, most therapists practice with a “trauma-informed” mindset. This means that they keep in mind that most of us have faced trauma in our lives. There are also specific therapy approaches that have been shown to help with trauma, one of them being EMDR (eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing.) EMDR’s goal is to help you heal from traumatic events that may make you feel “stuck”.
If you are currently seeing a therapist, you may want to bring up the topic of unprocessed trauma with them. And if you resonate with this blog post and you are not seeing a therapist right now, it may be the perfect time to begin. Just know, you are not alone.