addiction-treatment, Mental Health Research / 19.12.2024

Editor's note: This piece discusses mental health issues. If you have experienced suicidal thoughts or have lost someone to suicide and want to seek help, you can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting "START" to 741-741 or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. emotional-trauma.jpg Let’s face it—life is unpredictable, and the likelihood of encountering problems that can be traumatizing are never zero. Although emotional trauma is commonly associated with mental health, symptoms can occur beyond the brain too. Whether it be surviving a car crash or experiencing abuse, the human body will tend to display an array of physical symptoms as a response to emotional trauma developed from highly stressful events. With 70% of American adults experiencing a traumatic event during their lifetime, exploring the physical responses that signify emotional trauma is an important conversation to have.  

What is Trauma?

Trauma is a long term emotional response to severely stressful events that can physically, emotionally and mentally overwhelm the affected person. Trauma can significantly affect our daily lives through our sense of self, safety, and ability to manage our emotions and relationships. In fact, traumatic events can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); a mental health condition that can develop after a traumatic event. Statistics highlight that about five out of every 100 adults in the United States have PTSD in any given year. Women are also more likely to develop PTSD than men. This is partly due to the kinds of traumatic events that women are more likely to encounter, such as sexual assault.  (more…)