Could Past Trauma Be Causing Your Mental Health Issues?

Unpacking your mental health issues and identifying the cause is a very important step in your recovery. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, that’s not very easy to do. There isn’t always a specific reason why people develop mental health problems and our brains are very complex, so it’s tough to point to one single thing.

However, a lot of people develop mental health issues because they have experienced trauma of some kind. You may not necessarily make the connection between the two and often, trauma related mental health issues go undiagnosed for this very reason. That’s why it’s important that you understand the link between the two. So, what is the connection between trauma and mental health issues?

What Happens When You Experience Trauma?

When you go through a traumatic event, your body has a physical reaction. You may notice an increase in your heart rate, sweating, and nausea. This is your body’s flight or fight response and it’s perfectly normal for this to happen. In many cases, you will recover after the event and things will be fine. However, a lot of people experience feelings of denial or guilt and when those feelings don’t go away, they can turn into more serious mental health issues. 

Post traumatic stress disorder is very common in people that have been through something difficult. You may experience flashbacks or nightmares about the event and it’s common to feel incredibly anxious, even years after the initial trauma. Many people also experience depression, which is often linked to feelings of guilt or helplessness that do not go away after a traumatic event. 

Dealing With Trauma 

If your mental health issues are caused by a traumatic event in the past, it’s important that you are able to deal with that trauma if you are going to improve your mental health and overall wellbeing. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and avoiding bad habits that harm the brain is important, but you will also need treatments to directly deal with the trauma. 

Talking therapies are one of the best ways to deal with the aftermath of a traumatic event. It’s very cathartic to talk to somebody about what happened and it will help you to understand how that traumatic event is impacting your mental health. A professional therapist will also teach you ways of dealing with those difficult emotions so you are able to overcome them. 

In recent years, there has been a lot of research into new ways to manage trauma. Some people have been treated using psychoactive substances, like LSD or MDMA, and although these treatments are in their early stages, the results look promising. You can find out more information about these treatments from the Psychedelic Spotlight website. It is believed that talking therapies are more effective when patients are under the influence of very small doses of these psychoactive substances and it helps them to get to the root of the issue. 

If you are struggling with your mental health and you believe that you may be affected by past traumas, it’s important that you don’t suffer in silence. There are treatments out there, so reach out to those around you and get help.