What Trauma Really Is and How It Affects the Body
Trauma is often misunderstood as an event that happened in the past. In clinical practice, trauma is better understood as how the nervous system responds to overwhelming experiences and how those responses continue to affect the body and mind over time. Many people live with trauma symptoms without realizing that their physical and emotional reactions are connected to earlier experiences. Understanding trauma as a whole-body response can help reduce shame, increase self-compassion, and support healing, which is what we aim to do in this brief post.
What Is Trauma
Trauma occurs when an experience overwhelms a person’s ability to cope and creates a lasting sense of threat or helplessness. These experiences can include abuse, neglect, violence, serious accidents, medical events, loss, or chronic stress. Trauma does not require a single catastrophic event. Repeated or ongoing stressors, especially during childhood, can also be traumatic.
Importantly, trauma is not defined solely by what happened. It is defined by how the body and nervous system responded and whether those responses were able to resolve naturally (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022).
How the Body Responds to Trauma
When a person perceives danger, the nervous system activates survival responses designed to protect them. These include the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses. During trauma, the body releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, increases heart rate, and shifts energy toward survival functions. If the threat passes and the nervous system can return to a state of safety, these responses typically settle. When trauma is unresolved, the body may remain stuck in a state of hyperarousal or shutdown, even long after the danger has ended (van der Kolk, 2014).
Trauma and the Nervous System
Trauma can dysregulate the autonomic nervous system, which controls functions such as breathing, digestion, heart rate, and muscle tension. People with unresolved trauma may experience chronic activation, leading to symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbances, or difficulty relaxing. Others may experience hypoactivation, resulting in numbness, fatigue, dissociation, or a sense of disconnection from the body. These patterns are not conscious choices; instead, they are automatic survival responses shaped by the brain and body to prevent future harm (Porges, 2011).
Physical Effects of Trauma
Trauma can have significant and lasting effects on physical health. When the body remains in a prolonged state of stress, systems that are designed for short-term survival are activated far beyond their intended duration. Over time, this chronic activation can disrupt normal physiological functioning and contribute to a wide range of health concerns. Research has shown strong associations between trauma exposure and conditions such as chronic pain, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular disease, metabolic issues, and autoimmune disorders (Felitti et al., 1998). The body’s stress response influences inflammation, immune function, and hormonal regulation, which can increase vulnerability to illness and slow recovery from injury.
Many individuals with unresolved trauma experience persistent muscle tension, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and heightened sensitivity to physical sensations. Others may notice symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, or heart palpitations, which can occur even in the absence of current danger. These symptoms are often confusing and distressing, particularly when medical testing does not reveal a clear cause.
Trauma can also affect the brain regions involved in pain perception and bodily awareness, making physical discomfort more intense or difficult to regulate (van der Kolk, 2014). As a result, people may seek repeated medical care without recognizing that trauma-related nervous system dysregulation is contributing to their symptoms. Understanding the connection between trauma and physical health can help individuals and providers take a more integrated approach to care, one that addresses both medical and psychological factors.
Emotional and Cognitive Effects
Trauma can affect how people think, feel, and relate to others. Common emotional and cognitive effects include persistent fear, shame, guilt, difficulty trusting others, emotional reactivity, and negative beliefs about oneself or the world. Trauma can also impair concentration, memory, and decision-making due to changes in brain regions involved in threat detection and emotional regulation (APA, 2022). These effects can interfere with relationships, work, and daily functioning, often leading individuals to feel frustrated or confused about their reactions.
Why Trauma Is Not a Personal Failure
Trauma responses are adaptive biological processes, not signs of weakness or personal failure. The brain and nervous system are designed to prioritize survival, and trauma-related symptoms reflect the body’s attempt to protect itself in the face of perceived threat. During overwhelming experiences, the nervous system automatically activates survival responses without conscious choice. These responses are shaped by past experiences, particularly those that occurred during childhood or periods of vulnerability. Once learned, the nervous system may continue to respond as if danger is present, even when circumstances have changed (Porges, 2011).
Many individuals internalize trauma symptoms as personal flaws, believing they should be able to control their reactions or “move on.” This belief can increase shame, self-blame, and avoidance of help. In reality, trauma-related patterns persist because the nervous system has not yet received enough signals of safety to recalibrate.
From a trauma-informed perspective, symptoms such as hypervigilance, emotional numbing, avoidance, or difficulty trusting others are understandable responses to experiences that exceeded a person’s capacity to cope at the time. These patterns often reflect resilience rather than failure, as they helped the individual survive difficult circumstances.
Reframing trauma responses as learned physiological adaptations allows space for compassion and change. With appropriate support, the nervous system can gradually learn new responses, reducing symptoms and restoring a sense of safety and control (SAMHSA, 2014).
How Trauma-Informed Therapy Helps
Trauma-informed therapy focuses on restoring a sense of safety in the body and nervous system. Rather than forcing individuals to relive traumatic experiences, effective trauma treatment helps clients learn to regulate their stress responses, reconnect with bodily sensations, and gradually process experiences at a tolerable pace. Evidence-based approaches such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR, somatic therapies, and other trauma-informed modalities have been shown to reduce symptoms and improve overall functioning (SAMHSA, 2014).
Moving Toward Healing
Healing from trauma is possible. With the right support, the nervous system can learn that danger has passed and that safety is available in the present moment. Over time, individuals often experience improved emotional regulation, reduced physical symptoms, stronger relationships, and a greater sense of control over their lives. Seeking professional support can be an important step for those who recognize trauma’s impact on their body and wellbeing.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). DSM-5-TR: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8
Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach (HHS Publication No. SMA 14-4884). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.
