The Impact of Trauma is Far-Reaching

Dr. Gina Warren, co-founder and executive director of Neighborhood Wellness Foundation, explains the impact of trauma on individuals, families, and communities.

A woman looking pensively out of a window | Safer Sacramento

What is Trauma?

Trauma is a response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope. Trauma can affect a person’s mental and physical health, leading to issues like PTSD, depression, anxiety, and chronic health problems.

Common causes of trauma:

  • Physical or sexual assault

  • Abuse

  • Serious accidents

  • Natural disasters

  • Life-threatening medical conditions

  • The death of a loved one

  • Witnessing violence

  • Watching traumatic events

Trauma is a response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope.

What is PTSD?

Male soldier sits and speaks with a therapist about his PTSD during a session | Safer Sacramento

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Individuals who experience significant trauma often develop PTSD, to varying degrees. In these cases, the memory of the traumatic event can significantly impact the person’s ability to live a joyful life. Signs of PTSD can begin within a month of trauma, but the onset of symptoms may also be delayed for years. 

Often symptoms of PTSD worsen during times of stress or when triggered by an event, situation, place, or person that is associated with the initial trauma. (5)

Each person’s response to trauma is personal.

Symptoms of Trauma

Close up of hands clasped together | Safer Sacramento

Each person’s response to trauma is personal. Those experiencing PTSD typically have multiple symptoms that are much more severe, ongoing, and quite often debilitating.

Emotional Symptoms:

  • Flashbacks

  • Emotional dysregulation

  • Nightmares

  • Severe anxiety

  • Depression

  • Avoidance behaviors

  • Irritability and angry outbursts

  • Negative thoughts about self or others

  • Hopelessness

  • Lack of interest in daily activities

  • Shame and/or guilt

  • Detachment

Physical & Behavior Symptoms: 

  • Fatigue

  • Insomnia

  • Chronic pain

  • Increased heart rate or blood pressure

  • Excessive sweating

  • Digestive issues

  • Fatigue or exhaustion, shaking, muscle tension, or rapid breathing

  • Heightened startle response

  • Self-destructive behavior

  • Difficulty concentrating

Much like grief, healing from trauma does not follow a prescribed timeline or process.

Healing from Trauma

A man being comforted during a group therapy session | Safer Sacramento

The path to recovery from trauma can be long, putting a person’s resiliency to the test. Much like grief, healing from trauma does not follow a prescribed timeline or process. Research does, however, suggest key factors in reducing the suffering a person endures:

  • Continuous connection with and support from important people in your life

  • Helping others through their healing process

  • Sharing the trauma experience with others

  • Seeing yourself as a survivor rather than a victim

  • Tapping into positive emotions

  • Finding positive meaning in the trauma

  • Believing that you can cope and heal

Therapies and Treatments

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and somatic experiencing have shown positive results.

Close up of hands resting on knees in the lotus yoga position | Safer Sacramento

Self-Care and Support Systems

Engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, and building a supportive network.

A support group applauds for another member in the circle | Safer Sacramento

Resources for Trauma Survivors

Access to professional help, local or online support groups, and educational materials.

A Black therapist supporting a distraught Black man during a therapy session | Safer Sacramento

If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, get help right away.

When to Seek Help

A woman receiving a supportive hug | Safer Sacramento

If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, get help right away:

  • Reach out to a close friend or loved one.

  • Contact a minister, a spiritual leader, or someone in your faith community.

  • Contact a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Or use the Lifeline Chat. Services are free and confidential.

  • Make an appointment with your doctor or a mental health professional. (6)

  1. Debra Kissen. (2017, September 19). How to prevent trauma from becoming PTSD. Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/how-prevent-trauma-becoming-ptsd

  2. Gillette, H. (2022, December 19). 9 Different Types of Grief. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/health/types-of-grief#prolonged

  3. Grief. American Psychological Association. (2024). https://www.apa.org/topics/grief

  4. Grief. Cleveland Clinic. (2023a, February 22). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24787-grief

  5. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, December 13). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967

  6. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder): Symptoms & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. (2023b, October 6). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9545-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

Quick Links