Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, in his book Out of the Depths, shared a story from when he was liberated from a concentration camp as a young boy. A bullet hit a clock at a guard’s tower, with its hands frozen at 3:15.
Decades later, in 1991, he returned to the site and found the clock still frozen exactly at the same time—a reminder of the traumatic events he had endured.
That’s the picture of trauma.
From the moment a person experiences a traumatic event, the feelings, memories, and sensations often become a recurring theme in their life. No matter how much a person tries to move on, the weight of the past continues to affect them. It’s there to stay and can manifest in various ways even years after the traumatic events.
Understanding Trauma
When we experience something emotionally or physically painful that overwhelms our ability to cope, our psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being may suffer through what we call “trauma”.
Trauma can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. The factors that contribute to trauma are also multifaceted, from the severity of the event to how a person responds to it. With that said, trauma can happen due to experiences like:
Physical or emotional abuse
Neglect
Natural disasters
Accidents
Acts of violence or life-threatening events
Loss of a loved one
Remembering Trauma
Traumatic experiences can distort a person’s thought process. They may take excessive blame for themselves or others, often adopting a simplistic, black-and-white view of situations. These cognitive distortions can lead to feelings of shame, guilt, and hopelessness.
For some, they may also try to suppress or ignore traumatic memories, deluding themselves into believing that everything is fine. This causes a dismissive or avoidant attitude towards their own feelings and experiences. The avoidance or dissociation may further fuel a person’s emotional distress, difficulty in forming healthy relationships, and substance abuse or addiction to mask the pain of the traumatic memory.
A client of ours often expressed how much she felt numb and disconnected from what was happening in her life, no matter what she did. Due to this feeling, She started seeking ways to feel alive and eventually resorted to self-harm. This self-destructive behavior became her coping mechanism in dealing with the effects of trauma in her life. Her story is a good example of how trauma can lead to dissociation and becoming emotionally distant.
Other mind/emotional symptoms are:
Paranoia
Depression
Suicidal thoughts
Obsessive thinking
Self-blame
Denial
Hypervigilance
Though most people see trauma as a mental issue, it isn't solely confined to the mind; trauma is also stored in the body.
Let's consider one of our client cases to better understand how the body remembers trauma. For so long, one of our clients has been experiencing a recurring pattern of migraines that intensified at the end of summer and the beginning of fall. He soon realized that it was connected to his childhood trauma of being bullied throughout his elementary years. The time of the year, when he used to dread returning to school, became a seasonal trigger.
This unique story highlights how the physical body becomes a repository of stress and emotional tension over time. Trauma stored in the body can also manifest in physical symptoms like chronic pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. Individuals with trauma are also more likely to experience burnout due to their bodies' constant state of heightened arousal which makes it physically challenging to relax and recharge.
Additionally, trauma can compromise the body's ability to fight off infections or diseases, increasing the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and digestive disorders.
Other body/physical trauma symptoms include:
Shaking
Sweating
Panic attacks
Headaches
Muscle tension
Over or undereating
Increased heart rate
Poor sleep patterns
Trauma can also shake the foundations of a person's beliefs and make them question their purpose in life, their relationships, and their own identity. It can lead to a sense of disconnection from oneself and the world.
Soul symptoms may include:
Loss of faith or belief
Feelings of guilt or shame
Fear of judgment from friends, family, and community
Sense of emptiness or lack of purpose
Decrease sense of self-worth
Increased isolation
The Path Forward
Once trauma takes hold, it can be difficult to escape its influence. The only path to truly move forward is to address the trauma.
Effective trauma treatment must consider the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and soul, rather than focusing on just one aspect. While cognitive therapies are effective, adopting a holistic approach that includes the body and soul can be even more transformational.
A person with deep-seated trauma can have a hard time fully addressing their issues even with years of therapy. What can truly benefit them is an integrated treatment team that combines various modalities to address the multifaceted nature of trauma and promote healing.
This includes combining individual and group therapy to offer personalized attention while allowing for peer support and a sense of community. Adapting experiential modalities, such as psychodrama, creative arts therapy, and trauma-sensitive yoga, can also be a great way to create a safe space for individuals to process emotions and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
Addressing trauma at all levels is the first step to rebuilding a person’s life for the better.
If you have questions about trauma or our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Arbor Intensive is dedicated to helping individuals heal from the effects of trauma and reclaim their lives.