How Does Mental Trauma Affect You Physically ?

PTSD, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, occurs after you have been through a shocking or dangerous life event. Close to 10% of the population will experience PTSD at some point throughout their lives.

If you have experienced mental trauma, if you have PTSD or PTSD symptoms, or if you are concerned about your mental health, you can find help. Keep reading to learn more about the physical manifestations of trauma and how mental trauma affects your health.

What Is Mental Trauma?

Mental trauma can arise from a variety of events in your past that have had psychological effects. For many, this type of trauma looks like a traumatic childhood—any type of violent assault, accidents, or witnessing some other horrific event.

Most of these incidents that result in trauma are life-threatening and may trigger both emotional and physical responses.

What Are Physical Manifestations of Trauma?

Because traumatic events put your body through so much stress, there are many physical manifestations of trauma and PTSD. In fact, this type of trauma can make people more likely to develop health conditions like heart problems, obesity, diabetes, and more.

While there are many extreme physical manifestations of trauma, such as disease, there are also other physical reactions that are on a smaller scale. These include headaches, muscle tension, an upset stomach, extreme tiredness, and more.

If you are unsure if you are experiencing PTSD symptoms, you can reach out to a doctor for a screening and an assessment.

PTSD Symptoms

PTSD symptoms can occur within months of a traumatic event, but may not even arise until years later. There are four types of PTSD symptoms. These are intrusive memories, changes in both physical and emotional responses, avoidance, and negative changes in thinking and mood.

One thing that is important to note about PTSD symptoms is that they can change over time. They may be more prevalent when you are stressed or when you are reminded of your trauma, or they may just get more intense over time.

Some people can have more than one type of symptom and they may vary over time and from person to person. Here is more information about PTSD and the common examples of each type of these symptoms.

Intrusive Memories

Some common examples of intrusive memories include flashbacks to your traumatic event, nightmares about the traumatic event, and severe reactions and distress that occur when you are in a similar situation as the traumatic event.

Avoidance Symptoms

Common avoidance symptoms include avoiding talking about the traumatic event and even avoiding people or places that remind you of the traumatic event. Avoidance keeps you from talking about the issue at hand. It acts as a way to bury your trauma and keeps you from overcoming your mental trauma.

Negative Changes in Thinking and Mood

If you are experiencing negative changes in thinking and mood, you may feel numb, detached, and even hopeless about your future. These negative changes make it hard for you to experience happiness and it keeps you from enjoying things you once loved.

Changes in Physical and Emotional Reactions

Finally, PTSD can cause changes in both your physical reactions and your emotional reactions. For example, some people who experience this PTSD symptom are easily startled or frightened. They may always be on guard and paranoid about danger.

How to Find Help

There are many things you can do to find help if you are struggling with PTSD or any other type of mental or emotional trauma. While many have the natural instinct to withdraw and isolate themselves, this is one of the worst things you can do to deal with trauma.

It is important to continue doing the things that make you happy and being with others. It may help you to use others as a source of comfort. By talking things through, it can help you work through your feelings rather than fixating on the traumatic event.

Therapy is also a great way to find help as you are recovering from mental trauma. It isn’t a quick fix, but it will allow you to get to the root of your issues and overcome them.

It is important that you can’t just change how you feel. You can’t expect to “cheer up” overnight. If you are willing to put in the work, find a trusted therapist, and do things that help you feel like yourself, you can begin to recover from your trauma.

It is important to know that you can find help with your mental trauma recovery. While symptoms may vary over time, it is important to know when you should see a doctor. If you have had disturbing or severe thoughts, if you feel like you can’t get your life under control, or if you have any other serious issues, it may be time to talk to a doctor or therapist.

The sooner you get treatment, the easier it is to prevent your symptoms from worsening. Make sure you always reach out to a friend, loved one, or doctor when you are experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Learn More About Mental Trauma Recovery Today

If you have experienced mental trauma or have seen PTSD symptoms in your own life, you can find help! By reaching out to a mental health clinic, you can learn how to cope with and even overcome the traumatic events you have been through. If you are looking for a reliable mental health clinic, Solara Mental Health can help!

Our team offers comprehensive treatment for mental illnesses in San Diego, California. Contact us today to learn more about our programs and how we can help you through a traumatic event.