It’s easy to assume that trauma is exclusively a mental health condition. But trauma can affect every aspect of your life, including your physical health. Trauma isn’t just something that causes distressful thoughts or mental anguish. It can also have an impact on your physical well-being. You can experience physical trauma symptoms that give you short-term health problems.

But why does this happen? Why does your body hold on to trauma in this way, and what can it really do to your health over time? Here’s how your body stores trauma, and why it can be so debilitating for your health.

Trauma Isn’t Integrated Properly

When you experience a positive or neutral event, your brain simply integrates it into your existing memories and processes the information so that you can store it away long term. Often, even when you live through negative circumstances, the events are not so bad that they become traumatizing, and this process continues as normal.

But when you live through trauma, your brain cannot integrate these memories properly. Instead, your mind “encodes” the experience as images and bodily sensations. The memories essentially become fragmented. This is why they manifest as symptoms. When you recall what occurred, it might come back to you as a series of flashbacks rather than a clear recollection.

Brain Changes

One reason why trauma can produce such dramatic physical symptoms is that it does actually change certain structures in your brain. For example, trauma causes your hippocampus to shrink, which controls your emotions and memory.

It also causes your amygdala function to increase. Your amygdala facilitates creativity and rumination, so you can feel like your brain is stuck in a rut and consistently focused on your trauma. Furthermore, your prefrontal and anterior cingulate function decreases, which influences more complex cognitive functions, like planning and self-development.

Cellular Memories

Your trauma is stored on a cellular level. Your cellular memories hold the imprint of your trauma. This is because trauma sends shockwaves through your entire system, and your body and brain are not neatly separated.

Rather, your mental and physical health have always been connected. This is never more apparent than when you’re dealing with trauma.

Physical Symptoms of PTSD

Not every traumatic experience results in post-traumatic stress disorder, but for many people, trauma does eventually lead to a PTSD diagnosis. PTSD can bring many physical symptoms. For example, you might experience persistent headaches or severe migraines. Your digestion might be disrupted, you may feel like you have no appetite, or you may turn to comfort foods day in and day out rather than cooking healthy meals.

Furthermore, you might have trouble sleeping. Even when you do manage to doze off, you might toss and turn throughout the night. Finally, you may experience muscle aches and pains as a result of all the pent-up tension that you’re holding on to.

Compounding Risk

Many people live through more than one traumatic experience. Unfortunately, with each experience, your risk of suffering from physical symptoms increases. People who deal with multiple traumas essentially experience a compounding effect, with each traumatic incident, their symptoms can worsen.

Living through extreme trauma can actually increase your risk of dealing with chronic health conditions and potentially fatal diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, or strokes. This is why it’s so crucial for medical doctors and therapists to understand the intrinsic connection between mental and physical health.

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Do you feel like you’re holding on to unprocessed trauma? Working with a therapist can help you overcome it and heal. Reach out to us today to discuss your options for scheduling your first session in trauma therapy.