Anxiety and Trauma - Do They Feel The Same? Advice From an Anxiety Therapist
Those of us who have experienced anxiety or trauma at times feel totally different and yet - the same? Anxiety is something that every human has felt at one point or another. It’s actually an essential emotion for keeping us safe. Think about stepping into a street. If a car comes, you get out of the way fast, right? Anxiety. Those deadlines at work that always seem to get finished at the last minute? Anxiety.
Anxiety Can Be From Anything
Of course, anxiety can and often is much longer-lasting, about lots of things, and can be debilitating at times. Traumatic experiences can also involve a mix of survival responses and longer-lasting symptoms that get in the way of life. What you did or didn’t do at the time of the trauma was very likely part of how you coped, or even survived, at the time of the traumatic event.
The trouble is, those responses can continue even when the trauma is over. That’s when symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder are present. Flashbacks, thinking about parts of the trauma when you don’t want to, being easily startled and other symptoms are common.
Three Ways Anxiety and Trauma Intersect:
#1 Automatic Response
Automatic responses are, you guessed it, automatic. Your brain’s central nervous system has a protective crisis response system in the face of real or perceived threats. You’ve probably heard of “Fight or Flight.” This is common for people experiencing anxiety or trauma.
There are 4 responses that occur in response to stress. They are Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn (or as I and many others refer to “Submit & Comply”). They can occur with anxiety or trauma, and some examples are given below for each type of response. Of course, the examples below are in no way exhaustive or absolute. Different people respond to stressors differently.
Fight = Physically or Verbally Responding to the Stressor.
For anxiety, this may be someone who talks anytime there is silence because they are simply too anxious to sit with others in silence. For trauma, this could be someone who fights or intervenes during a traumatic situation. In both examples, a Fight response may appear outwardly as anger or aggression.
Flight = Avoiding or Moving Away From the Stressor.
People who respond to anxiety with a Flight response may procrastinate on things that cause them stress. Avoiding difficult assignments for school or work. Avoiding conversations with their partner. During a trauma, a victim may attempt to leave the situation. After a trauma, avoiding things that remind them of the trauma is common.
Freeze = Inability to Respond Verbally or Physically
If you have ever been in a play or gone to the amateur theater, you may have seen an anxious Freeze response otherwise known as “Stage Fright.” The actor is on stage, looks out at the audience, and suddenly forgets their lines completely. Similarly, a child witnessing their parents fight will at times respond by staring expressionless and motionless at the fight. They’re “frozen” in fear during the trauma.
Fawn (aka, Submit & Comply) = Giving in to the Stressor
An example of a Fawn response to anxiety is appeasing behaviors. People-pleasing. Going along with the group because it’s too anxiety-provoking to voice disapproval. In a traumatic event, it is common for people to respond in the same way. A common example is when victims attempt to appease their perpetrators in order to stay safe. Sexual assaults often result in this response as the victim is most often unable to fight off the perpetrator, and the brain automatically resorts to Submit & Comply as a way to protect themselves from further injury.
Anxiety Therapy and Trauma Therapy help to gain a better understanding of automatic crisis responses, which helps us in processing past experiences and our current behaviors.
#2 Belief Systems
People who experience chronic anxiety or traumatic events often form negative belief systems about themselves and the world around them. We all have negative thoughts at one time or another because we’re humans! When these thoughts become repetitive, they shape our perspectives in a major way. It becomes difficult to see beyond those negative thoughts and they become, at times, strongly held beliefs.
Examples Of Negative Beliefs About Self:
“I’m not good enough”
“I have to be perfect”
“I’m weak”
“I should have known better”
Examples Of Negative Beliefs About The World Around Us:
“The world is unsafe”
“Everyone lies”
“People are out to get me”
“People cannot be trusted”
Engaging in therapy for anxiety or trauma can help identify negative beliefs that are getting in the way of your life goals. Once these beliefs are identified, your skilled anxiety therapist will work with you to shift these unhelpful thoughts.
#3 Impact on Relationships
Relationships are tough! Anxiety and trauma can make them even tougher. People may experience anxiety about their partner, or may even have an anxious attachment in a relationship. This may result in needing a lot of reassurance, but still never really feeling “secure” in the relationship.
Experiencing trauma or anxiety can cause us to have more concern about the safety of the important people in our lives. The symptoms of anxiety and trauma can impact how we “show up” in relationships with family, friends, partners, and our children. It can impact our communication, emotional connection, physical intimacy, problem-solving, and many other aspects of important relationships.
If you are experiencing any of these challenges, reach out to us for help. We have skilled therapists who can work through this with you.
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At Indiana Counseling & Resilience Center, our team wants to support our clients and their mental health struggles. In addition to anxiety therapy for our clients, our skilled team of therapists specializes in trauma & PTSD counseling, couples counseling, and EMDR therapy. For more about us check out our FAQs and Blog!
