Trauma can happen to anyone after experiencing a distressing event like military combat, physical violence or abuse, or a serious car accident. Without treatment, the effects of trauma can be long-lasting, so it is critical to reach out for help. If you or a loved one has been through a traumatic experience, there is help available.
Promises My 5 Palms’ post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment can help you work through the effects of trauma using specialized trauma-informed therapies like eye movement desensitization reprocessing therapy (EMDR) and trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT).
What Is Complex Trauma?
While acute trauma usually occurs after a single event, like witnessing a violent crime or experiencing profound loss, and chronic trauma is the result of ongoing distress like an abusive relationship—complex trauma can occur after multiple traumatic events have happened to someone.
Similar to acute trauma, a person does not need to experience ongoing distressing events firsthand—even observing a traumatic experience happening to someone else can be enough to trigger complex trauma. For example, witnessing a parent being physically abused by the other or seeing a friend get bullied throughout high school can lead to complex trauma. Regardless of whether trauma is due to a single event or ongoing events, the effects can have a significant impact on your life.
The Long-Term Effects of Trauma
The long-term effects of trauma are far-reaching and can bleed into every area of your life. The impact can be felt across mental, relational, and physical spheres of a person’s life.
Mental Health Effects
Complex trauma can affect your mental health, leading to issues like:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Difficulty managing stress or emotional upset
- Hypervigilance and inability to relax
- Flashbacks or nightmares of the event
These symptoms can be short-term and may decrease in severity over time, but it is helpful to talk with a therapist after experiencing a traumatic event. Without treatment, the effects of trauma can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition that can last for years. It can be rather crippling, with symptoms severe enough to interfere with daily functioning.
Relationship Effects
Complex trauma can also have an impact on how you relate to others. You may:
- Have a hard time trusting others
- Feel like the world is a dangerous place
- Struggle with cultivating a sense of safety and security
- Get into dysfunctional relationships due to low self-worth
Trust is critical for healthy relationships, which is why it is so difficult for people with untreated complex trauma to develop and maintain relationships that help them thrive.
Physical Health Effects
While some traumatic events include physical harm, like being physically assaulted or being injured in a serious accident, others may involve no physical aspects, such as being verbally abused. Regardless of whether or not you incur harm to your physical body, there is a strong connection between trauma and your physical health. People experiencing complex trauma have a higher risk of:
- Chronic health problems like heart disease and diabetes
- Weakened immune function
- Insomnia
- Substance use disorder (SUD)
Emotional distress often manifests into physical health issues, so when seeking PTSD treatment, it is important to look for a program that attends to your mind and body for the most thorough healing experience.
Reach Out to 5 Palms for PTSD Treatment
If you are dealing with complex trauma, it is time to get help managing your symptoms. Complex trauma can affect your mental and physical health as well as your relationships and ability to function in everyday life. But with the help of trauma-focused therapy at Promises My 5 Palms, you can work through trauma and find peace from distressing thoughts and emotions. Call us now at 1.844.675.1022 to enroll or complete the online form.