Trauma impacts people in different ways, no matter when you experienced it. Children who go through things like physical or sexual abuse or witness other traumatic events may not show any signs of that trauma until years later.

As an adult, if you’re starting to experience out-of-control emotions, it could be connected to trauma that happened in your past.

These emotional reactions to past trauma can be harmful to both your mental and physical health. They could even put you at a greater risk of developing certain conditions like diabetes or cancer.

So, how can past trauma affect your present responses? What can you do about it?

The Instant Impact of Trauma

Many people who experience a traumatic event will have a physical reaction. That can include an increased heart rate or sweating. Some people will also develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in which they relive the event in flashbacks, or have vivid memories of it for years to come.

While trauma can impact you instantly, for some people the effects of it will either linger through the years or may even show up years later.

Long-Lasting PTSD

The effects of PTSD can last for years after a traumatic event. Some people might not recognize the symptoms right away. That can make you feel as though your emotions are out of control. But, some of the common signs aside from experiencing flashbacks include:

• Sleep disturbances
• Poor concentration
• Emotional numbness
• Depression

Depression can easily make you feel as though your emotions are out of control since everyone experiences it differently. It can give you feelings of anxiety or hopelessness. Instead of those emotions coming and going, they tend to linger and may make you feel helpless all of the time.

Feeling depressed can impact your behaviors in a variety of ways. You might not want to do things you typically enjoy, or you may isolate yourself from friends, family, or other loved ones.

Another effect of past trauma can be how you respond to specific situations today. You might have traumatic “triggers” that you’re not even aware of until they happen. If you feel as though you have control of your emotions most of the time, but not in certain situations, it’s important to get to the root of what is causing you to feel that way.

When to Seek Help

If you experienced a traumatic event in your past, you might think it’s too late to get any kind of help. That’s simply not true. You should seek out help if

• you feel like you can’t talk to anyone about your emotions
• other people are noticing changes in you
• you’re having trouble with your normal daily tasks
• you’re turning to harmful ways of coping (drugs or alcohol)

One of the best things you can do is turn to a support system. Don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed over talking about trauma that may have happened a long time ago. If you are still experiencing the impact of it, getting to the root cause can help you to overcome those negative emotions.

If you feel as though you don’t have a support system in your life, professional help can be your best option. Counseling can help you to unravel what happened in the past and get to the core of the traumatic event.

Once you have a better understanding of what is causing your out-of-control emotions, you can learn the skills and techniques to manage them. People do overcome PTSD. People overcome traumatic events, even from long ago. If you’re struggling, please feel free to contact me for more information about trauma therapy or to set up an appointment online session.