The physical effects of trauma in women

Trauma is a widespread issue for women in the U.S. In fact, you have a roughly 50% chance of living through a traumatic experience in your lifetime. While it is intuitive to focus on the emotional impact of trauma exposure, the effects of trauma in women and men can also be physical. You may quickly notice some of these effects. However, others may only come to light with the passage of time.

Women’s Recovery places a strong focus on the effects of trauma in women. Whether those effects are emotional or physical, we provide treatments known to support positive outcomes. Among your many options is a dedicated trauma treatment program. This program helps you get at the roots of the underlying problems contributing to your current condition.

As a whole, women do not go through traumatic experiences more often than men. In fact, men have a slightly higher risk for lifetime trauma exposure. However, women are disproportionately affected by certain kinds of trauma. That includes such things as sexual assault, as adults or children, and domestic abuse.

Traumatic experiences such as these often have a particularly damaging long-term effect. That helps explain why women have heightened post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risks. For every man with PTSD, two women are affected.

Directly after a traumatic experience, you are likely to have specific physical reactions. Common examples of these reactions include:

• Lightheadedness
• A spike in your normal breathing rate
• Similar spikes in your blood pressure and heart rate
• An upset stomach with or without nausea
• Trembling muscles
• Increased sweat output
• An extreme lack of energy
• Jumpiness or jitteriness

Not everyone will have the same exact reactions. In addition, not everyone reacts with the same level of intensity. Most of the time, these short-term physical effects go away on their own. However, if they don’t, you may start to experience some delayed trauma effects.

Delayed reactions to trauma are of greater concern. That’s true from both a physical and emotional standpoint. On the physical side of things, potential delayed reactions include:

• Disrupted sleep
• Ongoing fatigue
• An altered appetite
• Problems with normal food digestion
• A less effective immune system
• An inability to turn off your “fight-or-flight” system

If you don’t get help, you may also end up exposing yourself to several serious health issues. Examples of these issues include heart disease, autoimmune disease, and liver disease.

Generally speaking, the physical effects of trauma do not differ for women and men. However, the underlying reasons for that trauma can vary considerably. A co-ed trauma treatment program may not consider this important gender difference. As a result, it may fail to help you undo the actual source of your current problems.

On the other hand, a dedicated women’s trauma program focuses on the issues of greatest importance to women. This tighter focus helps you address things in your past that a co-ed program might overlook. In turn, it may increase your overall chances of making an effective trauma recovery.

At Women’s Recovery, we have extensive experience helping women recover from lingering trauma. Much of this help is provided in our women’s trauma treatment program. You may also benefit from a range of additional treatment options.

With our support, you can begin to address the connection between trauma and addiction. You can also address the combined effects of addiction and PTSD or other mental health issues. Our customized approach is suitable for women with all kinds of backgrounds and experiences. To learn more, just fill out our online form or call us today at 833.754.0554.