In this article, we’ll explore some of the constraints that trauma and adversity have on the lives of those who have struggled with them.

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Have you ever found yourself reacting almost instinctively in an uncomfortable or tense situation? Maybe you were feeling trapped and unsure of how to proceed. Or perhaps you knew just what to say or do to remove yourself from it as quickly as possible. If you weren’t entirely sure why you were responding that way, you’re not alone.

For people who have experienced trauma or adversity, feeling trapped in a moment isn’t necessarily about the physical circumstances they find themselves in. It can be more about invisible barriers that are affecting how they think, feel and respond. What creates unease often happens because they are reliving a memory they’d rather forget or suddenly have become overwhelmed by emotions triggered by something they don’t even recognize. A smell, a sound, or even a simple phrase uttered in conversation can bring waves of anxiety, fear, or sadness that they often cannot explain. How we respond can limit our ability to move forward or enjoy life fully.

That’s the tricky thing about trauma and adversity:  they have a way of embedding themselves so deeply in our bodies that without being conscious of them, they shape our behaviours and affect our mental and physical health. Understanding how this happens and learning how to address these experiences can help.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the constraints that trauma and adversity have on the lives of those who have struggled with them. But more importantly, we’ll help navigate some paths towards healing and improving overall well-being. There is hope and using tools like therapy can help us develop resilience.

What are trauma and adversity, and how do they affect mental health?

Trauma and adversity arise from deeply distressing experiences and disturbing events that disrupt our emotional balance and often leave lasting marks that can profoundly affect our emotional, psychological and physical well-being. While they both affect mental health and can manifest as anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance use, addiction or other psychological challenges, it’s essential to understand their distinctions too.

Adversity refers to hardships or struggles that test a person’s ability to cope, such as poverty, chronic illness, discrimination, or loss. Trauma, on the other hand, is the deeply rooted emotional response to harmful and distressing events like abuse, accidents, or violence where a person’s imminent safety and security was compromised, which, unaddressed and unresolved has been shown to “contribute to illnesses of all kinds throughout the lifespan.”1 It is a possible outcome of the adversity that someone has faced in their life.

In a global survey conducted by the World Mental Health Survey Consortium, over 70% of people reported experiencing at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, and 30% “were exposed to four or more.”2 We often hear people referring to a variety of situations as being traumatizing, however, in many cases, this is a “misplaced” use of the word. Gabor Maté notes that, “what people are actually referring to is [physical or emotional] stress.”3 He shares insight from Peter Levine, that “certainly all traumatic events are stressful, but not all stressful events are traumatic.”4 Maté describes trauma as less being about the situation itself and, in reality, about what “happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.”5

Historically, trauma awareness focused on war-related conditions like “shell shock” or “battle fatigue,” but advancements in neuroscience have revealed how trauma reshapes the brain and body through studies like the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) survey, which links early trauma to long-term health outcomes.6

Understanding types of traumas and adversity

It can help to consider that trauma and adversity exist on a spectrum and influence people differently.

Types of Traumas

  1. Acute trauma – relating to a single overwhelming incident, like a car accident.

  2. Chronic trauma – involves repeated exposure to distress, like long-term abuse.

  3. Complex trauma – a combination of many traumatic events over time.

Trauma can also be further categorized as:

  • Big T Trauma – arises from life-threatening or extremely overwhelming events, such as experiencing a natural disaster.

  • Little t Trauma – smaller, more personal events that cause emotional distress, such as a relationship breakup or job loss.

Types of Adversity

Adversity is finding yourself in a situation related to systemic challenges that can be stressful to experience and difficult to overcome, like:

  • Poverty

  • Discrimination

  • Unemployment

  • Work-related stress

  • Health setbacks or physical injuries and challenges

  • Emotional challenges in personal and professional relationships

The psychological and physiological impact of trauma

Trauma influences how people perceive and respond to the world around them. It affects our brain’s emotional networks by rewiring paths and grouping neurons to isolate them from the rest of the brain. This creates confusion in how our brains try to communicate as a whole, which can result in placing us in situations where we may be apt to “overuse some parts [of our brains] …and underuse others.”7 Physically, this can present as racing heartbeats, nausea, headaches, and more. Judith Zackson stated that “unresolved trauma is an invisible illness. To others, you may seem fine, but in reality, you are stuck in the past, battling emotional and physical symptoms that make it challenging to live a quality life.”8

Psychological Impacts

Here are some ways that trauma affects our psychological well-being when we encounter an event that goes “outside of [the] brain’s window of tolerance,” and it becomes too much:9

  • Hypervigilance – constantly being on edge and alert, waiting for an emergency, and unable to let your guard down.

  • Dissociation – feeling emotionally distant and numb, experiencing flashbacks that make it challenging to stay focused and present.

  • Difficulty in relationships – lack of trust and eroded emotional regulation or heightened emotional responses can make it challenging to connect with others. It may be easier to withdraw.

  • Low self-esteem and self-worth

  • Anger

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Lost memories – where recollections of memories are impaired because of altered connections in our brains due to the neurological changes that trauma creates. Memories are not lost but continue to appear in daily interactions. We don’t recognize them as such, but it’s these triggers that affect us psychologically that are these seemingly “lost” memories.10

Physiological Impacts

Here are some ways that trauma can affect our physiology:

  • Disruptions in brain functions – including working and long-term memory, decision-making, and emotional awareness and regulation.11

  • Chronic stress activation – where an overactive stress response is triggered, causing increased heart rate, high blood pressure, irregular breathing, and hormone imbalances, such as having elevated cortisol (the stress hormone), which does not flush from the body.

  • Physical symptoms – such as persistent headaches, nausea, digestive difficulties, vomiting, sweating, muscle tension, strain, or weakness.

  • Sleep difficulties – where sleep interruptions, nightmares, insomnia, and the inability to enter restful sleep states can lead to chronic fatigue and irritability.12

  • Somatic sensitivities – where someone is hyperaware and distressed about physical symptoms or experiences flashbacks of sensory memories associated with the trauma.

Common Mental Health Issues Linked to Trauma

Trauma-linked mental health conditions can have a significant effect on someone’s quality of life. Here are some common conditions:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is one of the most well-known trauma-related conditions. It’s characterized by a person experiencing intrusive memories tied to the traumatic experience, displaying avoidance behaviours, and heightened emotional reactions. Those with PTSD also frequently experience anxiety.

Anxiety Disorders

These can show up as excessive worry, restlessness, and rapid heartbeat.

Depression

Depression manifests as emotional despair, lack of motivation and energy, and feelings of worthlessness.

Addiction and Substance Use

People may turn to substances as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions in an attempt to numb the pain they feel from traumatic experiences. The challenge is that this can lead to cycles of dependency while emotions are suppressed to avoid the pain.

When these conditions are addressed with professional support and self-care strategies, people can start recovery and improve their well-being.

Recognizing the Signs of Trauma-Related Mental Health

Someone affected by trauma may begin to withdraw from social situations, experience difficulty sleeping, have mood swings, and show a noticeable lack of energy. Concentrating on tasks may be challenging. They may also have intrusive negative thoughts that affect their self-worth.

When these symptoms persist and significantly impact daily life, it’s essential to seek help from mental health professionals. Recognizing these signs can help avoid complications and start someone down the path to recovery.

Homewood Health Offers Counselling, Therapy, and Specialized Programs for Trauma

Supporting a Loved One Dealing with Trauma

Supporting someone dealing with trauma requires understanding, patience, and empathy. Here are some key ways to help:

  • Be emotionally available – Processing trauma can evoke strong emotions for both the person experiencing it and their support system. Creating a non-judgmental space encourages them to share their experiences.

  • Validate while listening – Building a sense of trust and safety is crucial. They may not have felt safe enough to express their true feelings before. When trauma is released, it can stir up emotions like anger and sadness. Avoid minimizing their pain or offering unsolicited advice.

  • Recognize individual differences – Each person’s relationship with trauma is unique, even within families. Gabor Maté has noted that each child within a family has a different relationship with their parents than their siblings.13 Avoid generalizing or assuming someone’s experiences within a family are the same as others.

The Importance of Therapy and Treatment for Trauma

Therapy provides the tools needed to process traumatic experiences and regain a sense of control. Research underscores the importance of addressing trauma to improve mental and physical health over the long term. Unresolved trauma can lead to physical illness later in life.

There is also evidence that unresolved trauma can be passed down through generations, affecting descendants’ behaviours, physical health, and emotional responses. Mark Wolynn, author of It Didn’t Start With You, explains that trauma can alter genes and impact resilience.14

Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, notes that “there is no one ‘treatment of choice’ for trauma…[as] no therapist can possibly be familiar with every effective treatment.”15 Some evidence-based approaches include:

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – Helps reframe negative thought patterns.

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – Focuses on reducing the emotional distress associated with traumatic memories.

  • Somatic Experience Therapy – Explores how the body holds onto and expresses trauma to increase sensory awareness and support healing.16

  • Compassionate Inquiry Therapy – Explores subconscious patterns, beliefs, and memories that stem from early life experiences and trauma using empathy and self-awareness. It incorporates elements of mindfulness to help individuals recognize how emotions are held in the body and expressed.

Impact on Overall Well-Being

Bessel van der Kolk’s central message in The Body Keeps the Score is that while trauma is a common human experience, it does not define a person or their future. Recovery doesn’t follow a straight path and is not something time-bound. Every effort made through small steps, such as therapy, practicing self-care, and leaning on supportive relationships, brings someone closer to finding a more balanced life and experiencing better well-being overall. Healing from trauma doesn’t mean that the pain and damage never existed; it means that the damage no longer controls someone’s life.

Investing in healing is also a way to help reduce stigma around mental health and trauma and improve understanding of the complexities of these experiences. Working through trauma can offer enhanced emotional stability, bring mental clarity, and help develop resilience. It allows someone to understand how important it can be to create healthy boundaries and redefine painful and traumatizing relationships and experiences. Relationships have the potential to be healed by working through emotions and anger to move toward acceptance and even the possibility of forgiveness. Arriving at a place where someone can let go of the pain that the traumatic experiences created can be life-changing.

References

  1. Maté, G., MD and Maté, D. (2022). The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture. Knopf Canada. p. 21

  2. Benjet, C. et al., (2015 October 29). The Epidemiology of Trauma Event Exposure Worldwide: Results from the World Mental Health Survey Consortium. Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/S0033291715001981

  3. Maté, G., MD and Maté, D. (2022). The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture. Knopf Canada, p. 24

  4. Ibid, p. 24

  5. Ibid, p. 20

  6. CDC-Kaiser Permanente. (1995-1997). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. CDC – Kaiser Permanente. Retrieved December 23, 2024 from CDC Website

  7. Greenberg, M. Ph.D. (2021 June 30). Understanding the Trauma Brain. Psychology Today. Retrieved December 23, 2024 from Psychology Today

  8. Gupta, S. (medically reviewed by Renteria, Y., LPC). (2023 November 21). What Is Unresolved Trauma? VeryWellMind. Retrieved December 23, 2024 from VeryWellMind

  9. Ibid.

  10. Maté, G., MD and Maté, D. (2022). The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture. Knopf Canada. p. 441

  11. Maynard, E. (medically reviewed by Snyder, C MD). (2024 August 19). How Trauma and PTSD Impact the Brain. VeryWellMind. Retrieved December 23, 2024 from VeryWellMind

  12. Ibid.

  13. Reneau, A. (2022 October 18). Dr. Gabor Maté Explains His ‘No Two Children Have the Same Parents’ Philosophy. Upworthy. Retrieved December 23, 2024 from Upworthy

  14. Wolynn, M. (2017). It Didn’t Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How To End the Cycle. Penguin Books.

  15. van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books, p. 214

  16. Salamon, M. (2023 July 7). What is Somatic Therapy? Harvard Health Publishing: Mind and Mood. Retrieved December 23, 2024 from Harvard Health Publishing