Trauma and anxiety are closely linked.
After experiencing a traumatic event, it’s natural to go through a range of negative emotions, including anger, fear, guilt, sadness, and confusion.
Anxiety is also a common symptom of trauma, due to its role in our stress responses, also known as fight, flight, freeze, flop or fawn.
Anxiety isn’t inherently bad. It’s a part of our body’s stress response, which is a cascade of physiological processes that happen when our brain perceives a challenge.
Temporary anxiety is part of heightened alertness and awareness. We know hardship lies ahead, and we’re anticipating it.
In a typical stress response, anxiety subsides when the perceived threat goes away. But the nature of trauma can prevent anxiety from subsiding. Trauma is a state of psychological overwhelm. It can cause lasting structural and chemical changes in your brain that keep you locked in “fight, flight, or freeze” mode.
Constantly anticipating a threat can mean constantly feeling anxiety, our brains stuck in survival mode.
Symptoms of trauma-related anxiety symptoms include:
Avoiding people, places, and things that remind you of the traumatic experience
Reexperiencing the event through nightmares or flashbacks
Intrusive memories
Continually thinking about what happened
Feeling constantly on edge, tense, or hypervigilant
Increased heart rate, sweating, or shortness of breath when you think of the traumatic experience
Panic attacks
Insomnia
Treating trauma related anxiety
Limiting anxiety inducing substances such as alcohol and/or caffeine
prioritising quality sleep
Exercising daily
Eating a healthy, balanced diet
Learning relaxation techniques, like structured breathing or meditation
Practising mindfulness
Journalling
Identifying your anxiety triggers so that you feel more in control
Working with a therapist to help you process what you’ve been through.
Andrea x