Attachment trauma is when a disruption occurs in the bonding between a baby and its primary caregiver. The disruption or trauma could involve neglect, abuse, or lack of attention or affection. This type of trauma could leave a baby to fend for themselves. Attachment trauma is a form of trauma that is developed when you’re a baby. Although you may not realize the trauma is happening at the moment or even realize that you dealt with a trauma, you can carry the trauma with you into your adulthood.
Now that you know a little more about what attachment trauma is. Let’s learn more about the signs of attachment trauma and how to cope with them.
The Signs of Attachment Trauma
Any type of trauma can have negative impacts on someone’s body, mind, relationships, and overall quality of life. These are just a few of the physical and psychological signs of attachment trauma.
Physical Signs
Unexplained physical pain could be a result of unresolved attachment trauma. Headaches, chronic pain, insomnia, muscle aches, back pain, chest pain, and digestive issues could all be signs of experiencing developmental trauma like neglect or abuse.
Psychological Signs
There are many different forms of psychological signs from attachment trauma. These are some of the most common and often unexplained psychological symptoms:
Anger issues
Anxiety
Depression
Emotional numbing
Irritability
Mood swings
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Unfortunately, a majority of individuals who suffer from attachment trauma will minimize, dismiss, or start to rationalize their signs and symptoms. Some will even resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms like turning to drugs or alcohol.
How to Cope
Attachment trauma may seem like something that is unavoidable. You’ve been living with it for years, right? You may feel like there’s nothing you can do to fix these unresolved feelings associated with your past. The truth is that there are certain things that you can do to start to better manage those signs and symptoms and eventually take back control of your life again. Here are a few different ways to begin the healing process.
Acknowledge Your Past
The best way to initiate the healing process is to first admit to yourself and acknowledge the fact that you dealt with trauma and have unresolved feelings associated with that trauma. It’s not an easy process, but the sooner you acknowledge those feelings, the sooner you’ll be able to deal with them. Understanding your past and any patterns is one of the best ways to move toward making positive changes.
Implement Relaxation Techniques
Any type of trauma can have a negative influence on how you feel about yourself and how you feel about your body. Try to reconnect with your body again by incorporating relaxation techniques. Here are a few different relaxation techniques you can try out to see what works best for you:
Body scan
Deep breathing
Meditation
Yoga
Seek Additional Support
Your trauma didn’t happen overnight, so that means it’s going to take longer than a day to resolve any lingering thoughts and feelings. You’re not expected to resolve this all on your own. It’s okay and actually encouraged for you to reach out for help.
Working with a therapist can help you better understand your trauma, deal with the signs and symptoms you may be experiencing, and start the process on your journey toward healing. A therapist will be able to teach you how to set boundaries, cope with any negative thoughts or feelings, and better communicate with others, especially in relation to your own wants and needs.
Don’t delay in getting the help you need and deserve. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation for trauma therapy.
Through Therapy Collective
Our team of culturally competent therapists is here to offer a warm and safe space to help you navigate life’s hardships with a sense of encouragement and empathy. Find out more >
