What is PTSD? Understanding Trauma, the Body, and Healing
As a trauma-informed counsellor, I often hear people use the words “trauma” and “PTSD” interchangeably. Whilst trauma can affect us all differently, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a recognised psychological response that can develop following deeply distressing or overwhelming experiences.
PTSD is not a sign of weakness, failure, or “being broken.” In many ways, I believe PTSD is actually an ‘‘ordered’’ response by the mind and body attempting to keep us safe after experiencing danger, fear, helplessness, or overwhelm and that naming this response as a “disorder” has the potential to instil a sense of shame or blame in trauma survivors.
My belief from both working with survivors and being a survivor of trauma myself is that our nervous systems are designed to adapt and survive trauma — but that sometimes those survival responses continue long after the danger has passed.
In this blog I explore; what PTSD is, the signs and symptoms, the difference between PTSD and CPTSD as well as providing free, downloadable grounding and stabilisation techniques.
What Is PTSD?
PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing traumatic events such as:
Domestic abuse
Sexual violence or assault
Childhood abuse or neglect
Serious accidents
Sudden bereavement
War or conflict
Medical trauma
Terrorist attacks
Emotional abuse or coercive control
Some people develop symptoms shortly after the event, whilst for others symptoms may emerge months or even years later.
Importantly, not everybody who experiences trauma develops PTSD. Research and trauma specialists such as Bessel van der Kolk have explored how trauma responses can be impacted by factors such as support systems, attachment, childhood experiences, and whether the trauma was able to be processed and witnessed safely by others afterwards.
Signs and Symptoms of PTSD
Symptoms can vary from person to person, but may include:
Intrusive thoughts
Flashbacks
Nightmares and difficulties sleeping
Problems with eating e.g. too much, too little, increased or decreased appetite, binging or abstaining from food
Shame
Anger
Dissociation
Distressing memories
Hypervigilance
Feeling constantly “on edge”
Startling easily
Panic or anxiety
Emotional shutdown
Numbness
Isolation
Low mood
Difficulty concentrating
Chronic tension or fatigue
Physical symptoms such as headaches, back pain, stomach or bowel problems
Chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ), diabetes, high blood pressure, MS, Cardiovascular Disease
PTSD vs Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
PTSD is often associated with a single traumatic event.
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) can develop following repeated, ongoing, or relational trauma — particularly during childhood or within abusive relationships.
Examples may include:
Childhood neglect or abuse
Domestic violence
Coercive control
Emotional abuse
Long-term sexual abuse
Cult or religious trauma
Alongside PTSD symptoms, people with C-PTSD may also struggle with:
Shame
Emotional dysregulation
Chronic anxiety
Difficulties in relationships
Feeling unsafe
Low self-worth
Dissociation
Difficulties trusting others
PTSD as a Survival Response, Not a Personal Defect
During my counselling training, we explored how language matters.
The word “disorder” can sometimes leave people feeling as though there is something inherently wrong with them. However, from a trauma-informed perspective, many PTSD symptoms make sense when understood as adaptive survival responses.
Hypervigilance, emotional numbing, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and anxiety may all be the nervous system attempting to prevent further harm.
In other words:
Your brain and body adapted to survive what happened to you.
What once kept someone safe can later become exhausting, overwhelming, or distressing when those survival responses remain activated long-term.
Managing PTSD: Grounding and Stabilisation
Healing from trauma is not about “just getting over it.” It is about helping the nervous system feel safer over time.
Some grounding and stabilisation techniques may include; breathing regulation, mindfulness meditation or, somatic approaches.
Below are some resources I hope you will find helpful :
Breathing Regulation
Slow, controlled breathing can help regulate the nervous system and signal safety to the body.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness can help bring awareness back to the present moment when someone feels overwhelmed or dissociated. You Tube has many guided meditations.
Somatic Approaches
Trauma is not only held cognitively — it is often experienced physically too.
Somatic practices may include:
Walking or going for a run
Yoga
Stretching
Dance or movement
Therapeutic massage
Grounding Techniques
5-4-3-2-1 technique
Holding ice or running your hands under cold water
Using texture or scent some ideas include; smelling your favourite essential oil, massaging your hands using a scented hand cream, lighting a scented candle or incense stick, playing with fidget toys., holding rocks or crystals - use whatever works best for you
Connecting your feet to the floor and doing a body scan
Flashback halting protocol
Carolyn Spring
Carolyn Spring is a survivor and advocate for those who have survived trauma. Her website has information on trauma, disassociation and recovery from trauma. Click HERE to be directed to her website.
A Brief History of PTSD
Although trauma has existed throughout human history, PTSD was not always understood or recognised.
Historically, symptoms were described using terms such as:
“Shell shock”
“Combat fatigue”
“War neurosis”
It was particularly following war veterans’ experiences, including those returning from the Vietnam War, that PTSD became formally recognised as a mental health condition.
Over time, our understanding expanded beyond combat trauma to include childhood trauma, sexual violence, domestic abuse, and relational trauma.
The Neuroscience of Trauma: What Happens to the Brain?
Trauma impacts both the brain and nervous system.
When we experience danger, our brain activates survival responses:
Fight
Flight
Freeze
Fawn
These responses are automatic and designed to protect us.
Key areas involved include:
The Amygdala
Often described as the brain’s “alarm system,” the amygdala detects threat and danger. After trauma, it can become hyper-alert, causing someone to constantly scan for danger even when safe.
The Hippocampus
This part of the brain helps organise memories and place them in time. Trauma can impact how memories are processed, which is why traumatic memories may feel vivid, intrusive, or as though they are happening “right now.”
The Prefrontal Cortex
This area helps with rational thinking, emotional regulation, and decision-making. During trauma, survival systems can override this part of the brain.
This is why trauma responses are not simply “overreactions.” They are nervous system responses rooted in survival; our brains physically change after experiencing trauma.
Why Talking About Trauma Can Help
Trauma often leaves people feeling isolated, silenced, or emotionally alone.
Research and clinical observations suggest that when traumatic experiences are able to be safely processed, witnessed, and spoken about in supportive relationships, this can reduce the likelihood of trauma remaining “stuck” within the nervous system.
Therapy can provide:
Emotional safety
Validation
Witnessing
Processing
Regulation support
Understanding of trauma responses
Healing often happens within safe relationships.
Seeking Professional Support
If you are struggling with symptoms of PTSD or trauma, you do not have to manage it alone.
Support may include:
Trauma-informed counselling
Reaching out to your social support network; family, friends, neighbours, people within the community or colleagues
Reaching out to your professional support network; your GP, counsellor, employer, education provider, health visitor
Group support
Specialist trauma services
NHS mental health support; your GP, the crisis team , IAPT counselling
UK Support and Resources
Call 116 123 (24/7 emotional support)
Final Thoughts
Trauma can profoundly impact how we experience ourselves, others, and the world around us.
But healing is possible.
PTSD is not a personal failure. Often, it reflects a nervous system that adapted in the best way it could in order to survive overwhelming experiences.
With support, safety, understanding, and compassion, people can begin to reconnect with themselves beyond survival mode and move toward healing, regulation, and hope.
