Trauma or Stress: Building Resilience through challenging times.

This post was written in 2021 while I was working at Upper Island Counselling Services in Campbell River. Check out their website for more resources and information: http://www.uics.ca

Information about the effects of trauma has been growing with prominent figures opening the discussion; books, films and real time press such as in the case of members of the US gymnastics team highlighting a fight against the trauma of abuse. The effects of trauma are different though than stressors which come up regularly in everyday life.

A stressor refers to something that evokes a stress response such as stimulating uncertainty about something of value to an individual including, health, family, finances, or change in normal routine. Stressors usually come in some form of uncharacteristic, abrupt, severe, unwanted or sustained change and can present itself in a variety of forms; physical, environmental, natural or human caused, hassle or aggravation are all examples. When stress shows up it can be acute and intense or chronic; COVID-19 provides an example of both. Stress is a dynamic process influenced by individual coping style, support systems, previous exposure to the stressor, presence of underlying mental health concerns, variety of personality traits and environmental, cultural or systemic pressures.

You may already be familiar with signs that you are experiencing stress; physical responses such as rapid heartbeat, trouble breathing or chest pain, cognitive and emotional signs like reduced self-confidence, poor concentration, memory loss and/or irritability, worry or a sense of hopelessness. We may sometimes alter our behaviour in times of stress and spend more time on our screens, change our eating habits or withdraw from friends and family.  Unsurprisingly all of these natural stress responses and changes in behaviour can have a detrimental effect on our mental and physical health even challenging our immune systems. The practiced response to stress can play a part in building resilience which can contribute to future adaptability to stress.

Learning to respond to stressors as opposed to reacting to them can help us avoid being plagued by problematic, or lasting symptoms. For folks with persistent emotional trauma, stressors that feel ordinary for some may incite a storm of emotions or a paralysis of functioning because they are already overwhelmed by dealing with the invisible wounds of past trauma.

These days especially, it may feel like relationships have changed or are particularly challenging due to varying beliefs or approaches to life during such an unusual time. People who have experienced trauma may be left feeling unsafe resulting in low levels of trust in others. When trust is challenged folks can tend to become guarded as a way to protect themselves against further harm; in everyday life this armour can come across as a tough or rough demeanour, challenging new or existing relationships. Further to this understanding, folks who feel unsafe have a harder time moving from the fight or flight response of the brain into the part of the brain that houses learning, recalling and retaining information, potentially leading to more mistrust.

Building resilience in order to safeguard oneself in times of stress looks like caring for personal needs through a variety of measures. The general adaptation syndrome (GAS) model of stress, describes three stages of activation and depletion folks move through: alarm, resistance and exhaustion.

In the initial alarm stage of stress, our fight or flight hormonal response is triggered as we evaluate the threat; ensuring safety and reducing the nervous system response becomes the focus. Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery are all examples of effective ways to reduce arousal. In the second or resistance stage of stress response the individual ideally adapts to the stress exposure and begins returning to a more balanced, restful state. This second stage is the time to engage in mindfulness practice, gratitude and positive self-talk, and a commit to building relationships and self-care routines. If the stress reaction continues, we may move into the third stage or exhaustion. Exhaustion can cause folks to feel overwhelmed by the stressor and may result in an inability to find a positive strategy to cope. Tuning in to our values, engaging in a spiritual outlet and/or accepting the support of a counsellor or mental health professional can help individuals move through the burden of stress exhaustion.

Resilience is the ultimate goal for stress management and although genetic and environmental exposure plays a part, finding opportunities to thrive and grow will support this purpose. Acceptance, optimism and empathy are important foundational traits that we can foster as well as social connection to gain an understanding of the shared human experience of stress and our natural human desire to thrive.

Lupe, S. E., Keefer, L., & Szigethy, E. (2020). Gaining resilience and reducing stress in the age of COVID-19. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology, 36(4), 295–303.doi:10.1097/mog.000000000000064

https://sci-hub.se/10.1097/MOG.0000000000000646