Trauma echo
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People with histories of significant trauma may find themselves repeating distressful behaviors despite a desire to recover. Many find themselves, for example, with abusive people later in life even though they were severely and adversely affected by a past abusive relationship. Living with these later relationships can cause a ‘trauma echo’ in which the feelings and behaviors associated with the original trauma ‘echo’ or recur throughout other relationships long after the original trauma has passed.
The trauma echo is a type of trauma reaction, but it is different than the well known reaction to trauma called Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a clinical condition in which trauma symptoms occur after a devastatingly overwhelming adverse event. In that disorder the original trauma is re-experienced in several ways. While the two may be caused by a similar process, they are not typically considered to be the same; however, individuals who have PTSD may also experience a trauma echo. The echo effect refers more generally to a recurrence of similar traumatic experiences and life circumstances that mirror the dynamics of another trauma.
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Trauma and the Brain
Trauma creates many ‘events’ in the brain as it occurs. Some are temporary and subside after the initial shock. Others do not. Since traumatic experiences can trigger instinctive survival mechanisms, neural pathways are opened during trauma that may never have been fully activated previously. This is why survivors may continue to feel in danger although the actual danger has passed. Similarly, sensory cues associated with the trauma, such as a particular sight, sound, touch or smell, may ‘trigger’ these trauma–based ‘brain events’. This process occurs in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. ‘Flashbacks’ and other involuntary trauma symptoms result. The trauma echo is more closely associated with 're-traumatization’, self-victimization, self-sabotage, learned helplessness and acceptance of the ‘victim role’ after having been victimized in an original trauma.
The Skills of Victimization
Victims of trauma, particularly prolonged trauma such as physical, psychological and sexual abuse, develop coping skills during their victimization. These are essential for psychological survival and, in some instances, physical survival. Submissiveness, delaying one’s own needs, appeasing others and enduring psychological discomfort or even physical pain, are necessary and appropriate coping skills in such an unusual situation as chronic abuse. While functional during abuse, these become dysfunctional and self-sabotaging in other life circumstances. Recovery from victimization, in order to be fully successful, must address and change these ‘skills’ of victimization. Otherwise, behaviors, beliefs and feelings appropriate in abuse situations will impair functioning once the abuse is over.
Re-Traumatization
Re-traumatization occurs when an original trauma is replicated. This can occur in many ways. One common example is that a physically abused child may later become a victim of domestic violence during adulthood. Similarly, a victim of childhood sexual abuse may engage in consensual sexual relationships later in life that are controlling or degrading. Continuing with circumstances, situations and relationships that somehow repeat or are reminiscent of earlier abuse will prevent full recovery from the original trauma.
An individual who finds herself in a re-traumatization pattern will also find that significant parts of her identify and personality are controlled by victim thinking and victim behavior. The original trauma will then ‘echo’ throughout the person’s life as dysfunctional relationships unfold, victim-based beliefs about them continue and victim-based behaviors are used to respond to whatever happens in these relationships.
Self-Victimization
Self-victimization behaviors may involve self-injury, placing one’s self in dangerous situations or engaging in compulsive behaviors that are high risk and have serious consequences. Self-mutilation (such as intentional cutting), forming intimate relationships with abusive partners and using substances are examples of these.
All such behaviors are strategies used by some to cope with victimization. These types of behaviors create their own adverse consequences. They also impede the learning and use of healthy coping skills. ‘Coping’ that occurs with such forms of self-victimization is always ineffective. Over time such efforts to cope create additional problems that must be resolved if one is to fully recover from the original trauma.
Self-injury
Self-injury alters brain chemistry and so in turn will alter mood. some who self-injure to report feeling relieved, grounded and in control after harming themselves. Additionally, self-injury abruptly and effectively shifts one’s focus from psychological and emotional pain to physical pain. Consequently, there is a false sense of having resolved psychological and emotional pain after incidents of self-injury.
Abusive Relationships
All survivors of abusive childhood relationships are vulnerable to other such relationships. This occurs because survivors develop personality characteristics and behaviors that are attempts to protect themselves from further abuse. Such reactions to abuse as submissiveness and seeking the approval of others can cause survivors to have poor interpersonal boundaries and difficulty asserting necessary limits with other abusive individuals.
Some survivors of childhood abuse unconsciously choose other dysfunctional relationships to help them leave the original traumatic situation. Many women, for example, report that they became involved in a controlling romantic relationship in order to escape abuse in their families of origin because controlling and even abusive partners set firm boundaries in which they could be safe from other abusers.
Substance Use
Substance use ‘medicates’ the immediate effects of abuse by sedation and numbing, providing a momentary ‘escape’. Addiction is likely to develop with the prolonged use of substances and the emotional and psychological dependency upon substance use as a coping mechanism. Substance use can also complicate later efforts to address trauma and can significantly delay the readiness and ability to successfully recover. Individuals with both trauma and substance issues will have to address both concurrently in recovery in order to fully and successfully recover.
The Victim Role: Learned Helplessness and Self-Sabotage
Individuals who have significant experiences of victimization can develop a self-image which includes a victim identity. Feelings of helplessness learned in abusive situations can generalize to all other areas of one’s life. A victim identity and its feelings of helplessness can undermine motivation, confidence and risk-taking behavior in situations that would lead to positive goal achievement.
