Recognizing the Hidden Effects of Trauma on Daily Life

1. Cognitive Impacts

Trauma can drastically change how your brain processes information, often resulting in cognitive problems that impede the ability to function. 

• You may find it difficult to focus, whether in a conversation, while reading or getting your work done at your job. 
• These cognitive distractions can be infuriating and isolating. Memory may also be affected– you may often have trouble finding things you misplaced, lose track of time, or feel like you are functioning in a constant mental fog. 
• Added to this, many trauma survivors experience ongoing negative self-talk, continually replaying a moment that showcased a failure or a moment of criticism which negatively impacted your self-image. 

These cognitive impacts are especially prevalent in people who experienced trauma during their childhood, because the brain is still developing and is vulnerable to prolonged stress. 

2. Disrupted Sleep

Trauma often provides a barrier to sleep, and the resulting tiredness can have a huge impact on your health and wellbeing. 

• Many survivors of trauma have insomnia, or nightmares that can be just as disturbing to experience, all of which are manifestations of the body’s fear of making itself vulnerable, or the traumatic events replaying in the mind time and time again. 
• On the other side of sleep, some people will use sleeping to escape pain that they’ve experienced, or as a sign of depression, and others will sleep excessively, considering times they spend sleeping as relief from becoming aware of their painful memories, thoughts, or feelings. 
• Fatigue will manifest in ways that correlate with day-to-day life, concentration or work performance, emotional wellbeing, and even physical health. 
• Sleep deprivation can perpetuate the emotional distress you feel while also contributing to interruptions in sleep due to emotional distress.

3. Physical Symptoms

Trauma is not only in the brain; it is also in the body. Many individuals who have experienced trauma report ongoing physical symptoms and physical negative effects with no obvious existing medical explanation. 

• Chronic pain and muscle tension, like in the shoulders, back, or jaw, are very common, because the body stays in a guarded state of alertness. 
• Headaches, digestive disturbances, palpitations, or hormonal disruptions, may occur as physical responses to emotional distress or may develop after repeated exposure to stress as part of the overall physical response to trauma; trauma affects the regulation of the immune system, which is another way it can affect the body. 

4. Flashback and Intrusive Thought

Flashbacks and intrusive memories are covert, but powerful ways in which trauma shows up through a person’s day-to-day life. 

• You may not even consciously remember all the details of the trauma, but your body and mind do. 
• Some moments, you may be suddenly overwhelmed with the powerful emotions of fear or sadness, or experience vivid mental images; sometimes these occur with little provocation – a certain sound, smell, or experience that trigger memories that echo the original trauma. 

These episodes can interrupt your concentration, your emotions, and your sense of safety.