Difference between stress and trauma

Our bodies are built to respond to stimuli. Fight/flight/freeze/shutdown are normal and healthy protective responses.

In situations where we can defend ourselves, even clumsily, our bodies would return to a state of homeostasis soon after. Assuming there wasn’t a previous state of dysregulation already present underneath (such as in cases of developmental trauma). 

Stress is not the same as trauma. We can and do experience stress without harmful effects. And there is such a thing as healthy stress. After all we, humans, love a good challenge and even feel stronger and energised after overcoming them. 

For instance, children learn self esteem by overcoming challenges with the right support. By completing tasks that are developmentally appropriate they feel a sense of accomplishment and build self esteem and resilience. 

For those of us who didn’t have support while facing challenges growing up. We haven’t developed a resilient nervous system. This is the work I see happening mostly in my office. On a daily basis I see many adults that didn’t realise that the difficulties they are currently facing are due to lack of resilience in their nervous system. But luckily we can work on this. 💛

Here are a few pointers to help you understand the difference between stress and trauma.

🏃‍♂️Stress

😰 Stress is a response to a trigger.

😰 It takes us into the sympathetic stage of the nervous system. 

😰 Stress causes a high level or energy in your nervous system. 

😰 It causes us to be super focused. 

⚠️ Trauma

🛑 It is when our response to a trigger becomes overwhelming.

🛑 Trauma takes us into the Freeze/shutdown (Dorsal Vagal) stage. 

🛑 Trauma happens when we are not able to maintain a level of energy (actively protect ourselves ) in response to a trigger/s.

🛑Trauma is a spectrum between acute/shock trauma and chronic trauma.