If you’re reading this, you or someone you know has likely experienced emotional trauma. Or will at some point in their lives.
Trauma, in this context, does not refer to a specific stressful or catastrophic event, series of events or situations that occur to you.
Rather, it is your psychic wound or response to these pivotal events or situations that are too overwhelming to process in the moment.
Your response will vary depending on many different factors, such as personality, inherent sensitivity, availability of support systems, and so on.
As such, everyone’s response to trauma is very personal and unique.
You may live through the same external ordeal as others, for example siblings sharing an abusive childhood or neighbours who survive a catastrophic earthquake, but you are unlikely to have identical trauma responses on an individual level, or to the same extent.
Ongoing research in the field is beginning to show that trauma is much more common than previously assumed, and that a number of psychological “disorders” are linked to unresolved trauma, and may well be the result of natural responses to painful or life-threatening incidents.
But here’s the thing you need to know…
Healing is possible.
I compiled this list of resources to help you identify and learn more about the various types of trauma, the range of signs, impacts and effects, and how to begin your healing journey.
What is Trauma?
PsychCentral – Resources for Understanding and Healing Trauma – This is a great resource unto itself with a good amount of posts on trauma gathered in one place. I’ve included a few articles in this post, but there’s much more to explore if you’re interested to find out more.
Articles
What Is Trauma? Effects, Causes, Types, and How to Heal – This quick overview from PsychCentral serves as a good general introduction to trauma.
What Is Trauma? Types, Stages, and Treatment – This post from VeryWellHealth includes a more detailed list of examples of traumatic events and symptoms.
Not All Trauma Is the Same – Delve into the range of forms trauma can take.
The Difference Between Acute and Chronic Trauma – Single event vs. prolonged event traumas. Explore the similarities and differences.
Videos
What is trauma? The author of “The Body Keeps the Score” explains | Bessel van der Kolk (7m 48s) – The author of one of the most influential books in the field explains trauma.
Signs of High Functioning PTSD (5m) from Psycho2Go – If you suspect you may have PTSD but doubt if your experiences qualify, this video helps you to clarify.
C-PTSD…What is it? (5m 10s) from Psych2Go – This video, with soothing voice over, is a helpful primer on Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD).
6 Hidden Signs of Complex PTSD (cPTSD) | MedCircle (10m) – A compassionate conversation with Dr Ramani Durvasula covering some less obvious signs of CPTSD.
Podcasts
Gabor Maté: The Definition Of Trauma And How We Can Fix Our Psychological Wounds (1h 22m)
Impacts, Effects and Signs of Trauma
Articles
21 Common Reactions to Trauma | Psychology Today – Do you recognise any of these 21 residual signs of trauma?
The Science Behind PTSD Symptoms: How Trauma Changes the Brain – Learn how trauma directly impacts the brain.
How to Identify and Overcome Trauma Triggers – A trigger pulls you right back to the “scene” of the trauma in your mind. Learn how to recognise and work towards resolution.
20 Common Personality Traits of Family Trauma Survivors – Personality traits that may stem from family trauma, many of which also coincide with neurodivergent traits. Do you identify with any of these?
The Effects of Trauma from Growing up Too Fast – Maturity at a young age is commonly perceived as a good thing. Learn how this view can insidiously hide neglect and abuse.
Trauma Denial: Why It’s Important to Work Through It – Denial is a survival and protection mechanism our mind employs for the short term, but over time it may lead to severe problems if left unresolved.
Videos
6 Signs Of People Who Have Been Abused (7m 23s) – Approachable introduction to unseen signs of abuse you may not have known about.
9 Signs You Have Unhealed Trauma (5m) – Signs to help you identify unhealed trauma.
8 Ways Emotional Abuse Traumatizes You (6m) – The elusive impacts of emotional abuse
The Trauma Of Abandonment | Dr. Gabor Mate (11m) – Dr Gabor Maté shares about the mechanics, his own experience with abandonment trauma and the effects on brain development.
Childhood Trauma: The Lives of the Neglected Children (6m) – Heart-breaking, pervasive effects of neglect
How Childhood Trauma Leads to Addiction – Gabor Maté (9m) – Connection between childhood trauma and addiction
Why unresolved trauma can make it difficult to lose weight (15m 37s) – Perspective on the link between trauma and weight
The Highly Sensitive Person and Childhood Trauma (32m 37s) – The link between High Sensitivity and Childhood Trauma
Healing & Recovery
Articles
How to Heal From Trauma – 10 ways to get started on healing today.
Trauma Recovery: Stages and 7 Things to Consider – Empowering reminders for your journey towards healing.
4 Somatic Therapy Exercises for Healing from Trauma – Some exercises you can try at home to help you relieve symptoms.
Best Types of Therapy for Trauma – A comprehensive list of the various types of therapy available and how to approach the search.
Videos
The Secret To Healing Trauma | Dr. Gabor Mate (6m33s) – Dr Gabor Mate shares his personal healing journey.
The 7 SURPRISING Ways To Heal Trauma WITHOUT MEDICATION | Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk (1h 31m) – Conversation between Dr Bessel van der Kolk & Dr Rangan Chatterjee discussing trauma and methods of healing that are proving more effective than pharmaceuticals.
Healing Sexual Trauma – A Somatic & Nervous System Approach (1h 26m) – A recording of Irene Lyon’s livestream about healing sexual trauma.
Healing the Adults to Help the Kids – Irene Lyon’s playlist of videos for parents who are survivors of trauma to help break the chain.
Top Books on Trauma Healing
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk (4.44/5 stars 129,694 ratings on GoodReads)
One of the most influential books on trauma. Trigger warning for trauma survivors, especially women, based on what I’ve seen in some reviews.
What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry, Oprah Winfrey (4.47/5 stars, 55,380 ratings on GoodReads)
Conversations on trauma and healing between Oprah Winfrey and brain and trauma expert Dr Bruce Perry.
Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker (4.58/5 stars, 6,887 ratings on GoodReads)
Written from the perspective of a survivor of CPTSD for those who want to understand and help a loved one with CPTSD.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson PsyD (4.41/5 stars, 31,585 ratings on GoodReads)
For adults who did not have their emotional needs met as children, due to emotionally immature parents.
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine, Ann Frederick (4.10/5 stars, 6,773 ratings on GoodReads)
Normalises the symptoms of trauma and focuses on body work, particularly Somatic Experiencing, to heal.
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts by Resmaa Menakem (4.42/5 stars, 7,543 ratings on GoodReads)
The author is the creator of Cultural Somatics, and his book focuses on cultural and racialised trauma in America.
What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo (4.53/5 stars, 20,107 ratings on GoodReads)
Another minority account of trauma. The author recounts her own experiences of abuse, neglect, CPTSD and her journey to heal, covering immigrant and generational trauma.
Additional Resources & Where to Get Help
BetterHelp.com – Affordable online therapy
Irene Lyon’s YouTube channel – Nervous System Expert and Somatic Practitioner Irene Lyon, MSC. became a Somatic Experiencing practitioner after going through her own physical and chemical trauma and healing. A pioneer of online programs that teach and guide you to heal yourself.
Dr. Gabor Maté on Trauma – Extensive list of links to the articles, interviews, audios and videos on Dr Gabor Maté’s work and conversations about trauma.
80 Awesome Mental Health Resources When You Can’t Afford a Therapist
If you’ve experienced trauma, compassion for yourself is key.
Your feelings and experiences are valid, even if few around you understand them.
Healing can be challenging, but seeking professional help and getting support to heal your wounds will go a long way towards managing triggers.
Don’t be afraid to shop around for a therapist or coach who makes you feel safe and who’s aligned with your unique values.
Over time, and with the right help, you will be able to reduce the emotional charge of traumatic events and break negative or destructive thought-patterns, improving your life and relationship with others and, most importantly, with yourself.
I hope you found these resources as valuable for you as they were for me. I’d love to support and facilitate your healing journey. If you feel called to, you can book a free strategy session with me to talk about how I can help you, and explore whether we’d be a good fit.