While some people can process traumatic events on their own, often, trauma tends to stick around and stay with a person. Unresolved trauma lives within the body. Even if you don’t exactly remember the trauma that you endured, it can show up in the form of feeling anxious, angry, or sad. It can also start to negatively impact other areas of one’s life, like your career or relationships.

If you grew up with family trauma, there’s a good chance that some of that has carried with you, even into adulthood. Both your body and brain have a way of holding onto trauma, even if you may not even realize it.

Trauma and anxiety are two completely different mental health conditions. While they may have their own definitions, diagnoses, and signs and symptoms, the two disorders often go hand in hand.

It’s not uncommon for someone who has endured a trauma to experience anxiety. It’s also not uncommon for someone who has anxiety to show signs of a previous trauma

Sexual abuse is a form of trauma. It can have profound and lasting effects on a person's mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Survivors of sexual abuse may experience a range of symptoms, including anxiety, depression, Hypervigilance, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), low self-esteem, feelings of guilt or shame, difficulties in relationships, and physical symptoms such as chronic pain, sleep disturbances, or eating disorders. These symptoms vary, and there isn't one 'typical' way people respond to trauma.

Trauma can affect people in different ways. No matter if you’re struggling with recent trauma or trauma from the past, help is still available to you.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of PTSD include anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, and an inability to control thoughts, emotions, or feelings relating to the traumatic event.

When the trauma that someone experiences lasts for over a few months, or the symptoms start to get worse over time, it’s usually a sign of PTSD.

But trauma doesn’t just have a negative impact on the body. Trauma can also negatively impact the brain as well. Let’s learn more about how PTSD affects the brain