Trauma can have profound effects on the nervous system, disrupting its normal functioning and leading to a range of physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms. Understanding these effects and implementing pattern interrupts (a technique used to interrupt an unconscious habitual response) can help mitigate the impact of trauma on the nervous system.
Trauma can have many effects on the functioning of the nervous system, such as hyper and hypoarousal, physiological and psychological dysregulation. Hyperarousal is an overactive sympathetic nervous system response leading to a state of hypervigilance, increased anxiety, and an exaggerated startle response. This can manifest as feelings of constant alertness, difficulty relaxing, and trouble sleeping. In contrast, hypoarousal is another state in which the parasympathetic nervous system dominates. This can result in feelings of numbness, disconnection, dissociation, and a sense of being emotionally shut down.
Trauma can lead to physiological dysregulation, or issues in the way our body systems operate, leading to irregularities in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. These dysregulations can contribute to physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and digestive issues.
Additionally, emotional dysregulation can lead to mood swings,
emotional reactivity, and intense emotional responses to triggering stimuli. This can result in excessive feelings of anger, irritability, depression, or emotional numbness. Trauma may also affect an individual's ability to process sensory information, causing them to become more sensitive to stimuli and triggering sensory overload. This can result in heightened sensitivity to noise, light, touch, or other sensory inputs, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and feeding back into the pattern of emotional dysregulation.
Many people experience these symptoms without understanding what is happening in the body and mind and the underlying, unconscious causes. Awareness is a healthy (yet still uncomfortable) first step towards healing the body, mind, and spirit from the effects of trauma.
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