8 Signs of Unhealed Trauma You Should Not Ignore
Trauma changes how your brain and body respond to the world.
You may look “fine” on the outside. Inside, you may feel on edge, numb, or overwhelmed.
If something painful or frightening happened to you, your reactions make sense. Your nervous system is trying to protect you. That is not weakness. That is survival.
Let’s walk through eight common signs of trauma.
1. Intrusive Thoughts about a Past Trauma Memory
You keep thinking about what happened.
The thoughts show up without warning. They feel unwanted. They feel distressing.
You might:
Replay the event over and over
Have images pop into your mind
Feel intense emotion when a memory appears
This is common after trauma. The brain struggles to process what happened. It keeps trying to “solve” it (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022).
If these thoughts feel relentless or make it hard to function, it may be time to seek support.
2. Avoidance Behaviours
You start avoiding reminders.
That might include:
Certain people
Certain places
Conversations
News stories
Even your own thoughts
Avoidance feels protective. In the short term, it lowers anxiety.
But over time, it can shrink your world. Research shows that avoidance keeps trauma symptoms going (Ehlers & Clark, 2000).
You may not even realize how much you are avoiding until you step back and look at your patterns.
3. Flashbacks of a Trauma Memory
A flashback feels like the trauma is happening again.
You may:
Smell something that takes you back
Hear a sound and freeze
Feel your body react before you can think
Flashbacks are different from memories. They feel present. They can involve intense physical sensations.
This happens because trauma affects how memory gets stored in the brain (van der Kolk, 2014). The body remembers.
4. Emotional Numbing
Some people do not feel “too much.” They feel too little.
You might notice:
Feeling detached from others
Difficulty feeling joy
A sense of emptiness
Going through the motions
Emotional numbing is another protective response. If the pain feels unbearable, your system may shut feelings down.
But long term, numbness can create loneliness and disconnection.
5. Hypervigilance
You feel on guard most of the time.
You scan rooms. You sit facing the door. You are startle easily.
Your body acts like danger is still present.
This is your nervous system staying in “fight or flight” mode (APA, 2022). It can feel exhausting.
Over time, hypervigilance can affect relationships, work, and sleep.
6. Sleep Disturbances
Sleep often suffers after trauma.
You may experience:
Trouble falling asleep
Waking up often
Nightmares
Night terrors
Your brain does a lot of emotional processing during sleep. After trauma, that process gets disrupted (Germain, 2013).
Poor sleep then makes everything else harder—mood, focus, coping.
7. Physical Symptoms With No Clear Cause
Trauma does not only live in thoughts. It lives in the body.
You might have:
Headaches
Stomach pain
Chest tightness
Muscle tension
Medical tests may show nothing wrong.
Chronic stress impacts the nervous system and immune system (van der Kolk, 2014). The body holds what the mind struggles to process.
If you notice persistent physical symptoms, rule out medical causes first. If nothing shows up, trauma therapy may help.
8. Negative Self-Image
Many trauma survivors blame themselves.
You may think:
“It was my fault.”
“I should have stopped it.”
“I am weak.”
“I am broken.”
Shame is common after trauma, especially interpersonal trauma (Resick et al., 2017).
These beliefs often feel true. But therapy can help you examine and challenge them. You deserve a more accurate story about what happened.
Is It Normal to Feel This Way After Trauma?
Yes.
In the first few weeks or months after a traumatic event, these symptoms are common. For many people, they reduce over time.
But sometimes people get stuck.
When symptoms last longer than a month and interfere with daily life, you may be dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (APA, 2022).
If you are unsure, you may find this helpful, How Do I Know If I Need Therapy for a Past Trauma?
Why Do Some People Get “Stuck” in Trauma?
Trauma affects how memories get processed.
When something overwhelming happens, the brain’s alarm system activates. If the event feels life-threatening or violating, the memory may not get stored in a typical way (Ehlers & Clark, 2000).
Instead of becoming a past event, it feels current.
Therapy helps your brain process what happened so it feels like something that occurred in the past—not something happening now.
When Should I Seek Trauma Therapy?
Consider reaching out if:
Symptoms last longer than a few weeks
You avoid more and more situations
You feel numb
Sleep issues
You feel intense shame or self-blame
Relationships suffer
You do not need to “wait until it gets worse.”
Early treatment often leads to better outcomes (Resick et al., 2017).
What Treatments Actually Work for Trauma?
Several therapies have strong research support:
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Learn more about CPT vs PE: Which Therapy is Right for You? Discover the differences between EMDR vs CBT therapy.
These approaches help you:
Process traumatic memories
Reduce avoidance
Challenge unhelpful beliefs
Calm your nervous system
If you want to understand how trauma therapy differs from depression treatment, read Trauma or Depression Treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Trauma Symptoms and PTSD
How long do trauma symptoms last?
For many people, symptoms improve within three months. If symptoms persist beyond a month and affect daily life, you may meet criteria for PTSD (APA, 2022).
Can trauma cause anxiety years later?
Yes. Some people cope well for years. Then a life stressor, relationship change, or reminder brings symptoms back. Trauma can resurface if it was never processed.
Can childhood trauma affect adults?
Yes! Childhood trauma can impact attachment, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and stress responses in adulthood (van der Kolk, 2014).
Learn more about childhood trauma therapy for adults.
Is trauma therapy online effective?
Research shows that online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be effective for PTSD (Lewis et al., 2019). Virtual therapy increases access while maintaining evidence-based care.
What if I do not remember everything clearly?
That is common. Trauma can fragment your memory. Therapy does not need perfect recall. We work with what your mind and body hold.
You Are Not Weak. Your Nervous System Is Protecting You.
Connect with a Registered Online Trauma Therapist
If you recognize yourself in this list, pause for a moment.
Your reactions make sense in light of what you went through.
Healing does not mean forgetting. It means remembering without reliving.
At Virtual CBT Psychotherapy, our therapists specialize in trauma and PTSD treatment. We use evidence-based approaches and create a space where you feel safe and supported.
If you are an Ontario resident (B.C., Quebec or Nova Scotia, Canada), you can book a free consultation. We will answer your questions and help you decide if trauma therapy is right for you.
Visit our Trauma and PTSD Services Page to learn more.
You do not have to carry this alone.
Written by Melissa Lindstrom, RSW, MSW. Trauma Therapist.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.).
Ehlers, A., & Clark, D. M. (2000). A cognitive model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38(4), 319–345. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(99)00123-0
Germain, A. (2013). Sleep disturbances as the hallmark of PTSD: Where are we now? American Journal of Psychiatry, 170(4), 372–382. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12040432
Lewis, C., Roberts, N. P., Simon, N., Bethell, A., & Bisson, J. I. (2019). Internet-based cognitive and behavioural therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019(9). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011710.pub2
Resick, P. A., Monson, C. M., & Chard, K. M. (2017). Cognitive processing therapy for PTSD: A comprehensive manual. Guilford Press.
van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.
