Trauma stored
Unprocessed trauma in our lives can continue to have effects that we do not even know realize are happening at first. The more negative experiences we have had, the more our lower-level parasympathetic nervous system automatically picks up on situations that may be similar. Trauma can come from many adverse events, like overly unpleasant childhoods, bullying at school or siblings at home, getting injured in some type of accident, or being a witness to it, or being a victim of a crime. These events leave us with a heightened sense of anxiety that escalates to various levels, and our fight or flight systems are activated faster.
Trauma and the body
Physical and behavioral health problems can start to show up like chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating and brain fog, difficulties sleeping, or trouble performing needed tasks in our lives, digestion issues, chronic pain from muscle tension, and high blood pressure. Some people shut down, others lash out, and sometimes anxiety or panic attacks come crashing into people’s lives. This can then provoke a fear of not being in control of emotions or having another panic attacks.
Getting past your past
It is better to process the trauma, pain, and defensiveness these events have caused in our lives, so we can start living from a safe place, and self-regulate and co-regulate with other people. It is possible to get past the trauma and the effect it has in your life. Being hyper-vigilant might feel like it is keeping you safe, but it also keeps you from seeing and acting on the positive opportunities that also exist in your world. If you have had trouble flourishing in your life, it might be from unprocessed trauma and similar events, that keep you stuck in hardship.