Trauma and Anxiety: What’s the Connection?

A lot of people are surprised to hear that trauma and anxiety are connected to one another. Even though these are separate mental health disorders, they can both have an impact on the other. For example, a traumatic experience will often result in a person having anxiety later on. Likewise, someone who is feeling anxious can have that experience become traumatic.

To better understand how these conditions influence one another, let's first look at each separately.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is an interchangeable term that describes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). When most people hear the word PTSD, their first thoughts go to those in the military or veterans. Our military members are certainly diagnosed with PTSD often. However, anyone, no matter their age or gender, can experience PTSD through traumatic events.

Some examples of traumatic events are:

• Domestic or Sexual Abuse

• Car accidents

• Natural disasters

• Serious injury

• Major life-threatening illnesses

• The death of someone close

The truth is, many events can be considered traumatic, and this list barely scratches the surface. But it's important to note is that not everyone will respond to a traumatic event in the same way.

Take car accidents, for example. One person may recover from this kind of event within a few months of the accident, but another person could still be affected by accident a year or more later. Ultimately, everyone will respond differently to a traumatic event, but the most common symptoms of PTSD are:

• Recurring and unwanted memories of a distressing event

• Avoiding places, activities, or people that remind them of the traumatic event

• Negative thoughts or beliefs about their self

• Difficulties with memory

• Having trouble with sleep patterns (sleeping too much, sleeping too little/insomnia)

• Changes in eating or appetite

• Feeling numb

What is Anxiety?

At some point, every person experiences anxiety in their life. Whether it's because of a school test or going to a job interview, feeling anxious from time to time is normal. But, for most people, it will simply pass. It won't affect them in the future.

On the other hand, some people feel anxious or fearful daily. This is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). People who experience this often worry excessively and find daily life harder to get through. Long-term anxiety can occur in any person, no matter their age or gender.

Some common symptoms of anxiety are:

• Excessive worrying

• Overthinking and creating a worst-case scenario

• Fear of the unknown

• Seeing events and situations as threatening even when they are not

• Inability to concentrate

• Fatigue

• Trouble sleeping

• Muscle tension

• Headaches

• Irritability

• Stomach aches

What is the Connection Between Trauma and Anxiety?

As you can tell, a few symptoms of each of these disorders overlap with one another.

The biggest connection between trauma and anxiety is the way our bodies respond to fear. Known as the flight-or-fight mode, this response system was developed by our ancient ancestors in response to life-threatening situations. It is the body's response to either face the danger head-on (fight) or flee from it (flight).

Let's use the car accident example again to illustrate the connection between these two disorders.

Someone who experienced this may develop anxiety in the future. They could become anxious about the thought of driving or feel fearful when they sit in a car. In addition, they may experience painful flashbacks from the accident itself, and the fear of driving might interfere with their daily activities.

Having anxiety can also cause someone to experience trauma during a certain event. Take public speaking, for example. If you are giving a presentation at work and are nervous during it and mess up somehow, you can liken the experience to being traumatic. So in the future, if you go to speak publicly or in front of many people, your body will respond as if you are going through the trauma again.

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All too often, anxiety and trauma go hand in hand. When you experience a traumatic event, you are likely to experience some anxiety symptoms in the future. If you are struggling to cope with anxiety or PTSD, reach out to our office today.

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