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What is Trauma Blocking? Understanding How It Affects Healing

People use trauma blocking as a defense mechanism when they don't want to face painful memories or emotions connected to a traumatic event. This is a normal reaction of the mind and body to protect the person from overwhelming stress. In fact, about 60% of men and 50% of women will experience at least one trauma in their lifetime, and many will subconsciously block the emotional impact. The person may push the pain out of their mind instead of facing it head-on, often without realizing it. Feeling emotionally numb, disconnected, or detached from certain events or people is one way this can show up.

Trauma blocking may help in the short term, but it often gets in the way of long-term healing and keeps the person from fully processing and moving past their trauma. The first step to dealing with this problem and finding better ways to cope is to understand how it works.

The Science Behind Trauma Blocking

When trauma occurs, the brain and body react in ways that are meant to protect us from further harm. The brain activates the fight-or-flight response, flooding the body with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones help us respond to immediate danger but can also cause long-lasting changes in how the brain processes emotions and memories. Trauma blocking happens when the brain suppresses these painful emotions to avoid the distress they cause. This can lead to the brain "shutting down" certain memories or feelings, making it harder to fully process the trauma. Over time, these unaddressed emotions can build up, affecting mental health and wellbeing. Trauma blocking may seem like a form of protection, but it often keeps a person stuck in a cycle of emotional avoidance, preventing true healing.

Signs of Trauma Blocking

Trauma blocking can show up in many forms and impact a person's mental, physical, and behavioral health. On an emotional level, it could show up as:

  • Emotional numbness: Feeling cut off from their feelings, not being able to feel happiness or sadness as strongly as they used to.

  • Difficulty identifying emotions: Not being able to understand or name feelings, which can lead to a general feeling of being lost or empty.

  • Avoidance of triggers: Staying away from things, places, or people that might remind them of the trauma, which can make them feel alone or withdraw.

Physically, trauma blocking can take a toll on the body. Signs may include:

  • Chronic pain or tension: Experiencing unexplained aches or stiffness, often in the back, neck, or shoulders, which may be tied to emotional stress.

  • Fatigue: Feeling constantly drained or fatigued, even after rest, as the body holds onto emotional strain.

  • Sleep disturbances: Having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing nightmares related to the trauma.

  • Changes in appetite: Either a loss of appetite or overeating as a way to cope with the emotions that are being blocked.

Behaviorally, trauma blocking often leads to avoidance patterns, such as:

  • Withdrawing from relationships: Pulling away from friends, family, or romantic partners in an effort to avoid vulnerability or discomfort.

  • Avoiding activities: Not engaging in hobbies, work, or social activities that once brought joy, in an effort to shield oneself from emotional overwhelm.

  • Turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms: Resorting to substance abuse, overworking, excessive use of technology, or other distractions to avoid confronting painful memories.

Even though these actions might help for a short time, they stop real emotional healing and make the pain from unresolved trauma last longer. Seeing these signs is the first thing that can be done to break the cycle of trauma blocking and start the healing process.

Why Do People Trauma Block?

Trauma blocking is often an unconscious way of dealing with pain that helps people stay safe when they are feeling too much of it. People who have been through a lot of trauma may automatically block out memories and feelings in order to protect themselves from the full effects of what they have been through. It's normal to feel this way, especially when facing the trauma might be too painful or dangerous.

Here are some common reasons people engage in trauma blocking:

  • Fear: When you're dealing with trauma, you might feel strong emotions like fear, which can be unbearable. By denying these feelings, the person keeps from going through the emotional pain they cause.

  • Shame and guilt: A lot of people who have been through trauma also feel shame or guilt. These feelings can be very painful, and it might feel better to block them out than to risk being judged or accusing yourself.

  • Vulnerability: Reopening old wounds can feel like taking a chance, especially if the person hasn't had any help dealing with their trauma. People who are afraid of being hurt or vulnerable may block their emotions unconsciously to keep themselves safe.

  • Self-preservation: People who have been through trauma often worry that talking about it will mess up their current lives or relationships. They can keep their sense of normalcy and control over their daily lives by blocking out the trauma.

  • Unresolved trauma: As time goes on, blocking trauma can become a natural response. People may continue to block their trauma without realizing it if they don't have the right support or tools to deal with their feelings. This can lead to long-term emotional avoidance.

Trauma blocking might help for a short time, but it can stop healing and emotional growth. To deal with trauma blocking and find healthier ways to deal with pain, it's important to first understand why it happens.

The Impact of Trauma Blocking on Mental Health

Trauma blocking might seem like a way to stay safe, but it can have big effects on mental health over time. By pushing down feelings and memories, the person may start a cycle of avoiding emotions that can hurt their overall health.

Here are some ways trauma blocking can impact mental health:

  • Increased anxiety: When trauma is blocked, emotions that haven't been dealt with often show up as anxiety. The mind is always trying to control the repressed emotions, which may keep the body continuously alert. These things make people feel antsy, tense, and uneasy.

  • Depression: Trauma that is pushed down can make people feel hopeless, sad, and emotionally numb. People who don't deal with their pain may feel deeply disconnected from themselves and others, which can lead to depression.

  • Difficulty forming relationships: Trauma blocking often leads to emotional distance, which makes it hard to connect deeply with other people. They might avoid closeness, push people away, or feel disconnected in relationships because they can't fully connect emotionally.

  • Low self-esteem: As long as trauma isn't dealt with, people may feel shame or guilt, which can make them feel less worthy of themselves. Blocking your emotions all the time can make your negative self-beliefs stronger, which can make you lack confidence and compassion for yourself.

  • Coping with unhealthy behaviors: People who block trauma may use unhealthy ways to deal with their pain, like abusing drugs, eating too much, or working too much. These actions may help in the short term, but they usually make mental health worse over time.

Trauma blocking keeps people from fully processing their feelings, which is necessary for emotional healing. Dealing with the effects of trauma blocking is important for getting your mental health and emotional well-being back on track.

How to Heal from Trauma Blocking

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It takes time, dedication, and the right approach to heal from trauma blocking. Dealing with repressed feelings and memories and learning healthier ways to deal with them is a slow process that takes time. People can start to break free from the cycle of emotional avoidance and get back in touch with their true selves by taking deliberate steps.

Here are some ways to heal from trauma blocking:

Therapeutic Support: The first thing that people often do to heal is to get help from a professional. You can safely explore repressed feelings and memories when you work with a therapist who specializes in trauma. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Brainspotting, and EMDR are all types of therapy that are meant to help people deal with trauma at their own pace, which can help them feel less overwhelmed and heal faster.

Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques: Mindfulness helps people stay in the present and be aware of their feelings without judging them. Focusing on the five senses or deep breathing are examples of grounding exercises that can help ease the anxiety that often comes with trauma. You can get in touch with your body and emotions again through these practices. This makes it easier to deal with your feelings as they come up.

Self-Compassion: To get over a traumatic event, you need to learn how to be kind to yourself. Shame or guilt can make it hard to deal with trauma, and you need to understand that these feelings do not determine your worth in order to heal. Self-compassion, which means recognizing your pain without criticizing yourself, can help you feel less inadequate and help your emotional growth.

Gradual Exposure: It can be hard to deal with traumatic memories all at once, but gradual exposure lets you do it in small, manageable steps. Over time, the trauma will make you feel less strongly emotionally, and you'll be able to think about the memories without getting too emotional.

Healthy Coping Mechanisms: It is very important for healing to replace unhealthy ways of coping, like using drugs or withdrawing emotionally, with healthier ones. Getting regular exercise, expressing yourself creatively, and building meaningful relationships are all good ways to improve emotional health.

Healing from trauma blocking is a process that takes time, but with support and the right tools, individuals can move forward and regain a sense of balance and emotional freedom.

Conclusion

Healing from trauma blocking is a very personal process that needs time, help, and the readiness to face painful feelings. Trauma blocking may help for a short time, but in the long run, it keeps people from living fully and honestly. The good news is that you can get better. It is possible to get past the problems that trauma has caused with the help of therapy, coping skills, and self-compassion.

If you can see how trauma is affecting your life, the first thing you should do is get help. This is a big and powerful choice. Therapy, mindfulness practices, and healthy ways to deal with stress can help you get in touch with your feelings and start the healing process. People can move on with a renewed sense of emotional balance and strength by dealing with the cause of the trauma and learning healthy ways to deal with their feelings.

Remember, you don’t have to navigate this path alone. If you’re ready to explore how therapy can help you heal from trauma blocking, Inward Healing Therapy is here to support you. Call us today at (408) 516-0363 to start your healing journey.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is trauma blocking?
Trauma blocking is when a person unconsciously suppresses emotions or memories related to past trauma. While it can help avoid painful feelings, it also prevents healing and emotional growth.
2. How can I recognize if I’m trauma blocking?
Signs of trauma blocking include emotional numbness, difficulty processing feelings, and avoiding memories. You may also feel disconnected from others or experience persistent anxiety and depression.
3. Can trauma blocking affect relationships?
Yes, trauma blocking can lead to emotional distance in relationships. It may cause difficulty with trust, intimacy, and communication, making it harder to connect with others.
4. How do I heal from trauma blocking?
Healing involves professional therapy, mindfulness practices, and developing healthy coping strategies. These tools help you process and reconnect with your emotions in a safe and supportive environment.
5. When should I seek help for trauma blocking?
If trauma blocking is affecting your daily life, relationships, or overall well-being, it’s important to seek professional support. Therapy can provide the guidance and tools you need to begin your healing journey.