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Trust Issues after Trauma

One of the most complex human emotions is trust. Trust is the strong belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something. Trauma can disrupt the emotion of trust, and this can have a lasting impact on a person’s life.

What Is Trauma?

Trauma can occur for many reasons, but trauma is the result of a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. Trauma is defined as emotional shock following a stressful event or a physical injury.

Different causes of trauma include the following:

  • Blunt trauma
  • Physical assaults
  • Vehicular accidents
  • Sexual assaults
  • Witnessing horrific events
  • Natural disasters
  • Significant emotional distress

What Is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?

One of the most common effects of trauma is the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a severe anxiety disorder that can occur after experiencing physical or psychological trauma. War veterans and assault survivors are especially susceptible to developing PTSD.

PTSD symptoms fall into the following four main categories:

  • Reliving the event
  • Avoidance
  • Arousal
  • Change in cognition and mood2

Avoidance is closely related to trust issues as a person may search for an outlet he or she can rely on for symptom relief. A person may desire to become emotionally numb, and PTSD sufferers may choose to excessively drink or use drugs as a way to numb themselves.

Dealing with PTSD or Trauma and Rebuilding Trust

There are many ways to cope with PTSD and restore trust after trauma.

There are many ways to cope with PTSD and restore trust after trauma. The following actions are effective ways of coping strategies for PTSD:

  • Learn relaxation skills
  • Speak to a therapist
  • Join a support group
  • Take part in positive activities
  • Engage in spiritually-based activities
  • Journal about thoughts and feelings
  • Lean on the support of those around you

Taking part in one or many of these activities may help restore a sense of reliability to one’s life and help a person find trust after traumatic incidences.

Treatment for Trauma and Trust

Double Image Of Sad WomanLike many other diagnoses in mental health, healing from trauma often happens most successfully with a combination of medication and talk therapy. It is dangerous to try to medicate without the guidance of a supervising physician, and many people prefer to try talk therapy — or psychotherapy — before having to take medicine.

Some talk-therapy modalities that could help with trauma and PTSD include the following:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help a person better understand and change how he or she thinks about trauma and its aftermath.
  • Exposure Therapy – Exposure therapy is designed to decrease your fear and lack of trust.
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – In an eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) session, you may be thinking of or talking about the trauma while simultaneously focusing on other stimuli like eye movements, hand taps and sounds. This helps you desensitize and process feelings about your trauma.2

It is important to find a therapist trained to help with trauma and allow them to guide you to healing. They can help you process and heal from past trauma and restore trust in your relationships.

Get Help Dealing with Trauma

If you or a loved one is struggling with trauma and trust issues, please call our toll-free helpline today at the number on this page. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you may have about counseling and rehabilitation. We are here to help. Please call 269.280.4673now.


Sources

1 Trauma.” American Psychological Association, Accessed August 31, 2018.

2 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health, Accessed August 31, 2018.