Unresolved Trauma: A Death Sentence
Survivors of sexual violence know that the effects of the violence last well beyond the time period of the actual crime. What many of us don’t know is that these effects may be slowly shortening our lifespan.
Chronic stress caused by experienced and unresolved trauma can impact the body’s stress response on a biological level. It can contribute to negative heath conditions linked to poor heart health such as hypertension, high cholesterol, cancer, and/or diabetes. Health care providers who are both trauma informed and aware of our respective traumas may be able to help us manage our physical and psychological needs.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular deaths account for 32% of all global deaths, with heart attack and stroke being the most common causes.* And, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the most common cause of death for both men and women.* With 1 in 5 persons being victimized by sexual violence, these results make sense.
So many of us are only existing and don’t have the opportunity to truly live or thrive - we’re stuck. Without the information and tools to successfully process what was done to us and understand our biological responses to it all, we’re left to our own devices to figure it all out. Some of us are successful doing the work independently while the remainder aren’t so successful.
Issues such as still being harmed by the perpetrators(s); not having personal time or space to “do the work”; not having access to needed information; or, not having a community of people who are able to empathize with us are all contributing factors as to why we’re unable to resolve [some of] the trauma. And, this unresolved trauma is possibly (slowly) killing us.
“So many of us are only existing and don’t have the opportunity to truly live or thrive - we’re stuck.”
Moving away from merely existing and toward truly living means that we start to address the trauma. And, if we can’t address it head on (via trauma informed therapy or other rehabilitative means), we can at least take better physical care of ourselves to combat some of the effects. Although it’s not a substitute for mental health care from a licensed and trained trauma informed professional, an improved lifestyle has been known to provide great benefit. The following activities have been confirmed to help, be sure to consult a doctor or fitness professional before starting:
Increase physical activity: running, walking, dancing, yoga, weight lifting, swimming, aerobic exercise, etc.
Quit smoking
Monitor blood pressure
Get the recommended amount of sleep per night
Take vitamins and supplements (per your personal health needs)
Drink the recommended amount of water (per your personal health needs)
Eat a healthy diet consisting of whole foods, fiber, healthy fats, lean proteins, etc.
Taking better care of our bodies helps to reduce the amount of unneeded stress hormones (cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine) that are causing harm in our bodies. In doing so, we leave room for positive organ function and good hormones (dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin) to take up space and help ensure our well-being.
The effects of the unresolved trauma are extremely harmful to the body. But, the damage may may be minimized, allowing the body some relaxation, to improve (even if temporarily) our overall wellness. And, in some instances, minimizing the effects of unresolved trauma may help to decrease our respective odds of premature death.
Image: Vecteezy
Source: * Google search engine “heart health and sexual violence”