Long-Term Effects of Unresolved Trauma: What We Don't Notice

Cloey Bibbs
Jul 17, 2025
4 min read

The effects of trauma are more than a mental struggle, and the long-term effects of it can go unnoticed if we don’t recognize the unresolved physical, mental, and behavioral signs of trauma in our lives. Unfortunately, forgetting about a trauma or certain parts of it does not mean that it has disappeared. While our brain is trying to protect us by forgetting certain details, it morphs into the way we interact with others and ourselves, and the way that we carry it--in our bodies. When we go through a traumatic event, our brains work to rewire the way that we respond to everyday events as a means to protect ourselves. The maladaptive way that trauma is stored in the brain causes symptoms in everyday situations that causes us to act in ways that people without trauma do not experience, even if we are safe.

What is Trauma?

A trauma or traumatic event is a distressing experience that causes us to feel overwhelming emotions to the point that it exceeds our capacity to be able to cope with it. There are 3 types of trauma: Chronic, Complex, and Acute. Acute trauma is when you experience one traumatic event, such as a car accident, or an injury. Chronic trauma involves incidents happening over and over, such as repeated natural disasters, whereas complex trauma involves multiple sources of ongoing trauma, such as childhood neglect and other forms of abuse.

Dysregulated Nervous System

“Sense of safety? Never heard of it.” For people who have experienced chronic or complex trauma, it is common to experience being in a constant state of hyper-vigilance. People often describe it as “waiting for the next ball to drop” and not know what feeling calm looks like, because they were never provided with a space to experience it. This is why coming to therapy is important, because not only are you in a space that provides security, your nervous system is also syncing up with someone who has a regulated nervous system.

Comfort is found in chaos, because it’s what’s familiar. Also, to be calm means to put your guard down, and that sounds scary to some people, because putting their guard down means that they will feel unprepared when something does happen. It is commonly described as feeling a sense of impending doom, even if there are no clear signs of danger. Our bodies are more than likely stuck in the past, and need reassurance that it is safe in the here and now.

Mind-Body Disconnect

This isn’t just “zoning out” out of boredom. Dissociating due to trauma can look like feeling detached from yourself and/or your surroundings. It’s like an emergency switch that your brain flips to immediately cope when feeling distressed, and the freeze response is activated if our fight-or-flight doesn’t seem to be a viable option. Two common types of dissociation are:

Depersonalization: This occurs when someone feels detached from their own body. It can look like they are observing themself as if they are disconnected from their own thoughts and emotions.

Derealization: This occurs when someone feels detached from reality. Your surroundings may seem unreal, or as if you are in a movie.

Relationship Issues

It can be challenging to maintain relationships with our loved ones if we have a past of being abused and/or betrayed by someone we trusted. Allowing ourselves to get very close to someone means that we would have to put our guard down for them, and then the “what if” thoughts start coming up for us. “What if they hurt me?” "What if they cheat on me?"

For example, you may have had a history of finding out that your significant other was seeing someone else, and now you have trust issues in each of your romantic relationships moving forward. Some people may find themselves needing constant reassurance that their partner still loves them and won't leave them. Relationship trauma can lead to having insecure attachment styles such as an anxious, avoidant, or anxious- avoidant (disorganized) type.

Aside from relationship trauma, unresolved trauma itself can lead to issues with emotional regulation, which can look like reacting to situations in a disproportionate manner. Someone with unresolved trauma may struggle with feeling overly irritable and have anger outbursts. Others may experience intense depressive symptoms, and may appear distant. Consequently, these behaviors can push other people away.

Issues with Physical Health

Being on high alert and being unable to rest requires a lot of energy and an influx of stress hormones. Since our bodies are not made to be giving off excessive amounts of cortisol and adrenaline, there can be negative health-related consequences in the future. Here are a few examples:

Issues with cardiovascular health
Weaker immune system
Digestive issues
Poor sleep schedule
Body tension and aches

Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

Unhealthy coping mechanisms are maladaptive ways that we manage feelings of distress. Engaging in unhealthy coping skills is likely due to the immediate relief that we can get, as well as a lack of our own healthy alternatives. A few common and unhealthy ways to avoid unpleasant thoughts and emotions would be using substances, excessive screen time, self-harm, etc. A coping skill would be considered unhealthy if the long term effects are not beneficial for our health.

Here is a list of healthy coping skills that can be used instead:

Reading a book
Participating in art or drawing practices
Taking a break when feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated
Practicing gratitude (in whatever way works best for you)
Listening to music
Cleaning
Getting enough rest for your body
Meditation
Solving or putting together a puzzle
Gardening
Saying self-affirmations
Going for a walk
Enjoying nature
Spending time with a pet
Journaling
Practicing Deep Breathing Exercises (like those mentioned in our blog post by therapist Sydney Villeneuve, linked at the button below)

Read Here for More on Breath-Work Blog

This list gives some great examples of healthy coping mechanisms, and it is our hope that you choose one or more of these to help you if you are dealing with a trauma or traumatic experience.

Sources:

5 ways trauma changes your brain and body (and how you can start taking back control) | anxiety and depression association of america, ADAA. (n.d.). https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/ways-trauma-changes-your-brain-and-body

Both your body and brain are different after trauma. what to know. CNET. (n.d.). https://www.cnet.com/health/mental/how-trauma-makes-neurobiological-changes-to-your-brain-and-body/

Trauma therapy - how trauma is stored in the body. All Points North. (2022, May 25). https://apn.com/resources/how-trauma-is-stored-in-the-body/