Trauma is a type of emotional response that can occur from a stressful or disturbing event. Most events that happen during a day can be processed, and you can move on from them. Trauma tends to have long-lasting negative effects.
More often than not, trauma is associated with an individual person. But rarely does a traumatic event affect just one individual. Often, family members of the person who was exposed to the traumatic event can also be impacted.
Family members are interconnected and play a big role in one another's lives socially and emotionally. When a trauma is caused by a serious accident, abuse, loss or violence, the functioning, relationships and even emotional health and wellness can be impacted for everyone who makes up that dynamic.
Let's learn more about the far-reaching effects of trauma on the family.
Emotional Dysregulation
Trauma can bring on different types of emotional responses like anxiety, anger, numbness or sadness. These emotions can make you feel like you're on an emotional rollercoaster. Experiencing all of these different emotions, especially within a short period, could cause you to experience mood swings, lash out or shut down completely. These different emotions and sudden changes can confuse or harm other members of the family, especially young children who may not fully understand what is happening or why you're treating them a certain way.
Communication Barriers
If you've experienced a traumatic event, you may notice that you're having a hard time speaking about your thoughts, feelings, and memories. Even though this is fairly common, the aftermath of trauma can lead to avoidance or silence. Communication is key in all types of relationships. This lack of communication can lead to other problems like future misunderstandings, emotional distancing, arguments, isolation or withdrawal.
Change in Family Roles
After a traumatic event, family members' roles can change or reverse. Children may take on the roles and responsibilities of their parents, and partners or spouses may need to be someone else's caregiver or emotional support system. These types of role reversals can put added and unnecessary pressure on family members.
Mental Health Struggles
Most of the time, the mental health struggles due to trauma are focused on the individual who underwent that trauma. In reality, trauma that is experienced in one member of the family can increase the risk of mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse in other members of the family. Children may even start displaying problems in school, difficulty managing their emotions or showing signs of behavioral issues.
Increased Conflict
Families who undergo stressful situations, especially something like a traumatic event, are more likely to experience increased conflict. Stress levels amongst family members can be heightened, which means that they can be more prone to conflict and arguments. Small issues can become major points of contention.
Intergenerational Impact
It's important to get ahead of trauma that is showing up in multiple members of a family dynamic. If the trauma is left untreated, it can have an intergenerational impact, which means it can impact immediate family members as well as future generations. Traits like anxiety, fear or even unhealthy coping mechanisms can be inherited.
Next Steps
If you or a loved one experienced trauma, you're not alone. Trauma can impact families in different ways. With the right amount of understanding, support and desire for healing and moving forward, you and your family members can work towards overcoming the effects that trauma has on everyone. Recognizing that the trauma has an impact on you and your family is the first step towards moving forward. Reach out today to learn more about spiritual therapy and get started on a path towards healing.