Have you ever thought that your past was still living in your present? Your past can come back to haunt you in the form of whispers of self-doubt, feeling anxious, or having no energy left to go about your day normally. Trauma can leave invisible scars that can change the way that you think and feel with the world around you. These scars can stem from a single event or series of painful events that can be almost too heavy to bear around. The idea of recovery can often feel unattainable. In this blog we will explore trauma as a concept, how it can affect your life, and most importantly, the effective methods and sources of hope that will be available to you in your journey to reclaim your peace, strength, and sense of self.
Understanding Trauma
Trauma is not only about what happened to you, but it’s also about what happens inside you afterward! The mind and body both feel the effects of trauma, significantly impacting individuals’ perceptions of themselves, others, and the world. Mental health professionals describe trauma as an emotional response to a deeply disturbing or distressing event. But trauma does not present the same for everyone. Some people may experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), while others may feel anxious, depressed, emotionally paralyzed, or have difficulties establishing and/or maintaining relationships.
Trauma can arise from various situations, including physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, war or terrorism, natural disasters, car accidents or life-threatening injuries, sudden death of a loved one or exposure to living in unsafe environments. In a fast-paced city like New York, any of these traumatic experiences can become even more intense and isolating. Clearly, the continued effects of 9/11 are still present in the lives of many residents. Others continue to silently cope with community violence, racial trauma, and domestic abuse—all of which create invisible scars that can affect daily living.
How Trauma Affects the Brain and Body
Trauma does not just leave behind emotional harm; it creates a whole body of physiological changes in the brain and body. When a person experiences trauma, the brain’s alarm system, the amygdala, goes into high alert. The amygdala is always scanning the environment for danger and often causes hypervigilance, panic attacks, and an exaggerated startle response. When this is paired with the diminished ability of the hippocampus to process memories and differentiate between past and present trauma, people are left feeling unsafe and sort of stuck in trauma.
The prefrontal cortex becomes similarly impaired, leaving trauma survivors unregulated emotionally and rationally dealing with the trauma related experience, sometimes leading to impulsivity, concentration issues, and emotional management. Trauma does not just exist in the brain, trauma also lives in the body, for example through chronic pain, fatigue, digestive issues, and immunosuppression. Most trauma survivors experience a variety of issues psychologically, with some developing anxiety, depression, dissociation, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Can Trauma Be Completely Recovered?
The Idea of recovery from trauma may never completely disappear. The emotional scars may persist, and the triggers may still arise unwarranted. However, that does not mean that healing is not attainable. Recovery is not about forgetting the past; it is learning to live in the present while not being bound by it. Recovery includes taking back control, enjoying the little moments of peace, and rebuilding at your own pace what trauma wanted to take away.
Recovery may look different from person to person. For some, recovery is no longer experiencing flashbacks or nightmares. For others, it means being able to feel safe again, trust again, love again, and experience joy again. Signs of recovery are generally improved emotional regulation, relationships and social connections, sense of purpose, reduced anxiety and depression symptoms, more awareness, and resilience.
How to Heal Trauma With Right Approach
1. Therapeutic Intervention
Therapeutic interventions have been shown to play an important role in trauma recovery because they give survivors a chance to process the traumatic events in a supportive environment and facilitate their healing. With the help of trained professionals, survivors are able to work through the confusing web of emotional and physical responses that trauma brings. The following therapies have been supported by evidence and are effective at addressing trauma. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a type of trauma therapy particularly suited for children and adolescents. It helps children understand the trauma in a way that is appropriate for their level of development.
Regardless of the approach, the therapy helps survivors develop healthy coping strategies, reinforce their resilience, and reconstruct their personal narrative from one of victimization to one where they are reclaiming their identity and actively returning to their life again.
2. Mind-Body Connection
Trauma can sever the mind-body connection, leaving people feeling detached, numb and disconnected from themselves. Reestablishing that connection will be a vital element of the healing journey. Participating in mind-body, or somatic, practices like yoga, mindfulness meditation, Tai Chi, breathwork, and dance/movement therapy can be profound. They benefit people who have experienced trauma by providing a way to calm the nervous system, develop mindfulness, and support individuals to feel more in the present and to self- regulate. They can reduce not only physical tension and emotional distress but as survivors learn to feel and trust their bodies again, they can reclaim an autonomous sense of experience. If practiced on a regular basis, these holistic approaches can help create a renewed trust in the body, improve self-awareness, and fuel continued emotional and physical healing.
3. Social Support
Trauma recovery is a journey better taken together. Social support is one of the most important pieces of healing, providing comfort, validation, and connection that trauma often takes away. Family, close friends, support groups and online communities can all provide a safe, non-judgmental space to hear and share your story, and that can be incredibly healing because it reminds you of the connection and recognition that you may not have felt for some time. It is restorative to have people listen (even just one person can help) and allow space for your thoughts and feelings to be heard. Supportive relationships provide not only emotional relief but also a sense of “this is possible” when you might not feel that way, and that you are not alone in your experience.
4. Self-Compassion
Trauma creates a landscape littered with guilt, shame, self-blame, and other perceived lack of self-worth which can make it difficult for survivors to see themselves in a kind manner. Learning to practice self-compassion becomes an essential part of recovery, allowing people to soften the internal harshness which trauma often creates in terms of self-talk. If they enable this inner dialogue to happen unaddressed, they can’t begin healing. In order to practice self-compassion, individuals must begin speaking to themselves in a kind manner, not only while in pain or hardship but any time they engage in self-talk.
Engaging in self-compassion involves reassuring oneself that every form of healing has hiccups and is not a linear process. Additionally, it means giving oneself the same understanding and care they would give their best friend. When one is truly engaging in self-compassion, they begin the process of dismantling the negative self-talk and the internal critique one may experience. It allows for room for growth, healing, and feeling strong.
Conclusion
Recovering from trauma doesn’t mean pretending the experience never happened, it’s all about transforming the way we live. It’s about reclaiming your voice, creating a new you, and learning to trust again. There is hope that living your best life is possible beyond the pain. With the right support and kindness, a trauma survivor can not only survive, but they can also live happily. If you or someone you know are in need of this kind of support, there is more than enough trauma healing resources in NYC from professional’s therapists and holistic practitioners to community centers and peer support.
References
- Dealing with trauma. (2024, June 17). NIH News in Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/06/dealing-trauma#:~:text=Most%20people%20recover%20naturally%20from,or%20visit%20the%20emergency%20room.
- Bremner, J. D. (2006). Traumatic stress: Effects on the brain. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(4), 445. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2006.8.4/jbremner
- Treatment, C. F. S. A. (2014a). Trauma-Specific services. Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207184/
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355973
