A recent event may have left you feeling upset and unsafe. If you’ve experienced a traumatic event in the past—whether in childhood or later in life—those earlier experiences can heighten your response to the present stress. This post explores how past trauma influences your reactions to current events and what you can do about it.
What are traumatic experiences?
Let’s first define trauma. The term is often used loosely, partly due to increased access to information about mental health. While this access is helpful, it can also lead to misunderstandings when people base their knowledge on social media posts instead of trusted sources. For mental health information, it's best to rely on reputable, professional resources rather than social media.
According to the American Psychological Association, psychological trauma refers to “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, crime, natural disaster, physical or emotional abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, the death of a loved one, or war.” After such an event, you may experience shock, denial, or emotional pain that can last a short time or, if unresolved, linger for years.
How Trauma Affects Your Thoughts, Emotions, and Body Memory
After a traumatic event, you try to make sense of what happened, often at a cognitive level. Meanwhile, your body and emotions can remain stuck in that moment, making it feel as though the trauma is still ongoing, even though it has passed. As a result, you may form beliefs about yourself and the world based on that event. Your body’s response to the trauma and your emotional reactions may initially serve as a way to survive, but they can become counterproductive over time.
For example, in EMDR therapy, I ask clients about how they view themselves in relation to their trauma. A person who survived sexual abuse may feel “damaged” or “dirty.” A survivor of a traumatic loss might believe there was something they should have done differently to prevent the death.
How Traumatic Experiences Shape Your Personality
To those who haven’t experienced trauma, these feelings might seem strange or difficult to understand. However, for someone who has lived through such an event, these beliefs may feel necessary to make sense of the trauma. If you endured repeated abuse—such as childhood abuse or intimate partner violence—you may internalize these beliefs.
Over time, they become ingrained, reinforcing feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, or fear. These beliefs can crystallize and become habitual, shaping your personality. You might start thinking, “I am unworthy” or “I don’t deserve happiness.”
How Recent Events Can Trigger Past Trauma
Let’s say you were bullied by a family member during childhood, and you felt helpless and trapped. Over time, you adapted by becoming strong, seeking academic success, or focusing on financial achievements. You buried the trauma and tried to move on with life.
Years later, you’re involved in a hit-and-run car accident as an adult. Suddenly, old feelings of helplessness and vulnerability resurface. You might develop symptoms of acute stress disorder (a shorter precursor to PTSD), such as irritability, sensitivity to light and sound, or becoming easily startled.
While friends and family may understand your initial distress, they may struggle to comprehend the lasting impact. If symptoms persist for weeks or months, people may encourage you to “move on.” But the unresolved trauma from the past only intensifies your current stress and emotions.
Coping With Traumatic Experiences
It can be isolating and difficult to deal with both recent and past trauma. You may feel misunderstood or even like you're "going crazy." You might experience feelings of derealization or depersonalization, where nothing feels real and you feel disconnected from yourself. Here are a few coping strategies that can help:
Recognize your body’s responses to trauma and use body-based exercises to address them.
Talk to trusted friends, family, or spiritual leaders to avoid feeling isolated in your experiences.
Engage in mindful, conscious movement, like yoga or Tai Chi, to help you feel grounded.
Educate yourself about traumatic stress and learn ways to manage it—my video program provides helpful tools and information.
Practice self-compassion for the parts of you affected by trauma. This can be challenging, especially if you’ve internalized harmful beliefs, but it’s essential for healing.
If you need help processing past or recent traumatic events, trauma therapy can support you in untangling the stress you’re experiencing. Feel free to reach out to schedule an appointment at 661-233-6771.