Recovering from trauma can be a long and daunting process. Finding a therapist who will empathize with your trauma but also work to help you heal is just another element that can delay full recovery. While memories and feelings may not ever fully go away, you can work to control them and limit symptoms like nightmares, panic attacks, and flashbacks. 

The stages of trauma recovery will look different for each person. Each stage is filled with a few different actions that will help you to handle overwhelming emotions better. Recovering from trauma doesn’t mean you will totally forget what has occurred, it just means that you will have better resources to cope. Below, we will discuss what each stage can look like and how you can heal through trauma therapy. 

1- Safety & Stability

Those affected by trauma often feel unsafe in their body, in relationships, in social situations, or around others who may have abused them. The first step in healing is for trauma holders to regain a sense of safety and stability. Regulating emotions is difficult for trauma holders. The first step in therapy is to relearn how to regulate or soothe emotions. 

Speaking about the traumas can also cause emotional overwhelm. This is why providing safety and emotional stability is what trauma therapy focuses on first. Therapists will be unable to get to the root issue if the patient cannot articulate what happened. During the stages of trauma, a person will learn how to regulate feelings, resist the temptation of risky coping behaviors, and manage fears. 

2- Remembering And Grieving

After the first stage, individuals may be able to process the trauma more deeply. Once they feel safe from more harm, trauma holders can better remember the events that occurred. Trauma is usually accompanied by amnesia and dissociation. Working with a mental health professional, patients can explore past events through a different lens without dissociating from the pain. 

When you experience trauma, there may be emotions, events, or memories that are stolen from you. During this stage, therapists will acknowledge what you have lost and grieve with you. Going through trauma therapy will also require your physical body to heal. This could bring back physical pain, chronic illness, headaches, and more. Navigating triggers is the key element of this stage.

3- Reconnecting & Integration

Creating a new sense of self can help trauma survivors live a full life without letting their trauma control them. During this stage, the trauma will no longer be the driving factor in someone’s life. While the trauma will be integrated into their story, it won’t define them. During this stage of trauma therapy, a patient will recognize how the trauma impacted them and take steps toward empowerment.

As true healing really gets underway, it may feel overwhelming to think about life moving forward. Once your trauma doesn’t define you, it could feel daunting to build new friendships and relationships, communicate your needs, set goals, etc. Trauma therapy will help you integrate better into your community and feel like a contributing member of society.

4- Consolidation And Resolution

During the last stage of trauma recovery, individuals should work on setting new goals. Consolidation and resolution do not mean completely erasing the trauma from your memory, but rather finding a way to reframe your life to experience new things while reducing the effects of trauma. Cognitive restructuring a reframing are often used in trauma therapy to help holders reach this stage. Giving a trauma holder the ability to better navigate challenges in the future determines successful trauma recovery. 

Trauma Recovery Takes Time

All those who seek therapy need to remember that their journey is unique. All therapy types are unique to the individual and are a journey for the patient. Trauma patients should give themselves grace during all stages of trauma recovery. Comparing your healing journey to others will only undermine your progress. Every person’s trauma and therapy proceedings will look different. Recovery and growth are possible when you go in with a willing mind and understand that healing isn’t linear. 

Trauma Therapy From OPS

Experiencing trauma throws your world out of order. No matter what trauma you have experienced, our therapists have techniques that can work for you. Trauma therapy recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma and knows that there are multiple paths to recovery. OPS is proud to serve our community with different types of therapy and evidence-based techniques. We know that seeking therapy can be scary, but we are here to make your transition as soon as possible. Reach out to us to schedule your first appointment today!

Trauma is an impactful event or action against you that can change your mental and physical development. Many instances could be considered traumatic and could result in physical repercussions. Experiencing trauma in your childhood, teenage years, or adulthood will all have an effect on the remainder of your life. A common question is if trauma impacts our physical health. 

While not all trauma occurs in a physical sense (verbal abuse, emotional distress, financial struggles, or death) the psychological effects can appear in a physical form. This blog will share just a few ways that traumatic events impact physical health. 

Impacts On Your Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response

The biggest impact of trauma is the production of adrenaline and cortisol. Unresolved traumatic experiences can cause your fight, flight, or freeze response to occur during non-threatening situations. Experiencing trauma will alter your brain structure which can cause you to have a response to small instances like leaving the house, driving, swimming, fireworks, and more. This protective response produced in your brain will be heightened, making you feel constantly on edge. 

Physical Health Impacts Possible From Trauma

Different illnesses or chronic conditions can form out of trauma. Especially unresolved trauma, heightened hormone levels, and stress can lead to the issues listed below. 

Gastrointestinal Problems

Traumatic events can often lead to gut problems. Digestive issues, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, and other disorders are caused because of the gut and brain connection. 

Sleep Disturbances

Stress disorders often disrupt sleep patterns leading to insomnia or nightmares. Poor sleep often worsens other conditions or increases the risk of diseases like cardiovascular disease and heart disease. 

Autoimmune Disorders

Trauma patients have often been linked to developing autoimmune disorders. This is where the immune system attacks the body and is not able to fight off infections. Conditions like Hashimoto’s, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis are autoimmune disorders. 

Chronic Stress

Since the fight or flight response is heightened, your body is in a constant state of stress. Chronic stress conditions can lead to inflammation, weakened immunity, heart disease, and diabetes. 

Headaches

Dissociation, lack of sleep, and heightened cortisol production can cause headaches. Lack of sleep or proper nutrients from stress can also lead to headaches in trauma holders. 

Using Substances To Cope

Not all trauma holders will experience physical repercussions, the stress or flashbacks could lead individuals to use substances or alcohol to cope. Using drugs and alcohol can help numb a person to the fear they developed or stop certain physical reactions from happening. This becomes a larger problem as substances will harm our health over time. Especially harder drugs and frequent alcohol consumption, which have been known to cause brain, liver, and kidney damage. 

Making Irrational Decisions

Impacted self-awareness, self-neglect, and self-harm can all result from trauma. Some individuals start to participate in risky behaviors or neglect their responsibilities. Adjusting to life after trauma or PTSD can be difficult, so it may be hard to take part in tasks for yourself like bathing, eating healthy food, exercising, or sleeping. 

Coping with difficult memories and emotions may cause individuals to misuse substances, have suicidal thoughts, or dissociate. All of these things could lead to dangerous decisions that a person may not otherwise make. Putting yourself at risk can also cause severe health issues or wounds. 

Manifestations Of Trauma Can Occur At Any Time

The effects of trauma may not be noticeable right away, or may not appear for many years. Trauma experienced in childhood may not show up in physical responses until adulthood. Our brain can suppress memories that we may not remember until attending therapy or speaking with a family member. 

There are many ways that trauma can manifest in your life, which is why it is important to heal from it with the help of a licensed professional. The negative impacts of trauma extend to more than just the brain. 

Trauma Therapy From Ogden Psychological Services

Ogden Psychological Services has therapists who specialize in trauma treatment. Working with a therapist one-on-one will help you to process difficult emotions and remember instances that your mind has suppressed. The therapist will use evidence-based techniques to help you face the trauma in a controlled and safe environment. 
OPS is happy to serve the Northern Utah community with high-quality mental health care. We believe that a good therapist can help you heal, mentally and physically, from the trauma that has happened to you. We also treat other issues including anxiety, anger, depression, ADHD, postpartum depression, and more. Reach out to us to schedule your first appointment.