Understanding Psychological Trauma
Women, Abuse and Trauma Therapy: An Information Guide
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This guide discusses trauma resulting from abuse, often called “abuse-related trauma.”
Abuse-related trauma can develop after someone has been sexually or physically abused and/or emotionally abused or neglected,
usually in childhood. The abuser is often an older family member or a close family friend or relative. Women who experience
trauma as adults are most often those who felt helpless and trapped by abuse as children.
Trauma can change the way a person develops, emotionally and psychologically. This is because traumatic events can disrupt
your emotions, memory, consciousness and sense of self. Trauma can affect your relationships and your attachment to others. It can change the way your brain and body work.
Whether an event is considered traumatic is based on a woman’s own experience. A “traumatic event” (incident that causes trauma)
may overwhelm a woman’s ability to cope. She may feel as though she is “going crazy.” Many abused women feel distressed, afraid
and helpless.
Traumatic events come in many forms, and people cope with them in different ways, but there are some patterns in the ways
people respond to abuse. These patterns depend on:
- the person’s age at the time of the abuse
- the abuse survivor’s relationship to the person who abused her
- whether the abuse happened once or was repeated over time.
Life-threatening or overwhelming events such as car accidents, natural disasters, war, or sexual or physical assault may lead
to post-traumatic stress. Post-traumatic stress can develop when a person experiences the effects of a traumatic event long after the even is over. Sometimes these negative
effects can last for many years.
Post-traumatic stress is a normal response to extreme harm.
Women who experience post-traumatic stress may not think their abuse experiences were very serious. Many women cope with the
devastation by minimizing the effects of the abuse on their lives, making the abuse seem less important.
Different kinds of post-traumatic stress – Simple and complex
Simple post-traumatic stress results from a one-time incident, such as a rape or serious car accident. It is different from
complex post-traumatic stress.
Complex post-traumatic stress usually develops if the abuse:
- happened over a long period of time
- was repeated many times
- was committed by the person’s caregivers
- happened early in life, especially if the child experienced emotional neglect or poor attachment in his or her family.
Complex post-traumatic stress can also develop in adulthood, when abuse happens over a long time (for example, when a woman
is battered by her partner over a number of years).
People who have experienced severe abuse can have complex post-traumatic stress without having simple post-traumatic stress.
But generally, they have both.
Women respond to traumatic events in different ways. They may:
- have intense emotions, but not realize what causes them
- remember the traumatic event, but not feel anything
- feel suddenly alert and panicky
- be constantly vigilant and irritable, and not know why
- feel numb and empty.
Simple post-traumatic stress responses
Simple post-traumatic responses usually happens after one traumatic event. The person may:
- have nightmares or flashbacks about the traumatic event (a flashback is a sudden, disruptive and vivid re-experiencing of a traumatic event)
- avoid things that remind her of the event
- feel numb
- spend less time with family and friends
- lose interest in everyday activities
- be always on guard or alert to danger.
Complex post-traumatic stress responses
Responses to complex post-traumatic stress may include:
- having general feelings of despair
- feeling that life is meaningless or that you are worthless
- experiencing depression
- feeling unexplained shame or guilt
- having problems trusting or being close to others
- being prone to emotional outbursts and impulsiveness
- having difficulty feeling calm or relaxed
- having long-term problems with sleeping
- not feeling entitled to you own feelings, opinions or wishes
- feeling that you don't deserve success and happiness.
To cope with painful feelings, many women:
- develop and eating disorder
- misuse alcohol or other drugs
- self-harm by cutting or burning themselves
- try to please others so they don't get angry, disappointed or hurt.
These ways of coping often make women feel more isolated and depressed, and can increase anxiety and sleeping problems.
These behaviours may help women cope with some painful feelings for a while. But, over time, they become less effective. Women
usually start therapy when they find they can't cope any longer with the problems in their relationships or in everyday life.
For example, they may have trouble sleeping, or find that their work is overwhelming or that parenting is too stressful.
Substance use, depression, eating disorders and other problems
Many people coping with trauma have other problems, such as substance use, depression or an eating disorder. These problems
are often a response to the trauma. Trauma therapy can help with these kinds of problems. But you may also want to get other
help at the same time, such as by joining a support group.
As a result, many survivors still blame themselves. They may not trust others. They may believe that others will not treat
them respectfully or understand their feelings.
The goal of therapy is to help you heal by listening to you respectfully and with empathy and care. Survivors learn to have
empathy for themselves both by being treated respectfully and by leaning about normal responses to trauma. Learning that many
of the behaviours that you developed are normal reactions to overwhelming experiences will help you feel less shame and responsibility
for what you have experienced.
Centre for Addiction
