It is unfortunate that many people feel ashamed or confused by their triggered reactions. It’s understandable, when these reactions are called “symptoms” and viewed as being dysfunctional by many mental health professionals. That’s not to say that these triggered reactions can’t cause difficulties, because they can. But with better understanding of them, they are less likely to feel random or self-sabotaging.
What trauma responses and survival strategies are
Trauma responses are the patterns that emerge when the nervous system has been shaped by threat or overwhelm. These same patterns are often called survival strategies because they developed to help a person stay safe. In either case, they developed over time. As the nervous system used different strategies for responding to threat, it learned which responses were most effective. When the individual is triggered, the trauma response is what the nervous system learned was most likely to be successful. These trauma responses are not consciously chosen; they are determined by the nervous system. It is important to note that these responses worked at the time. They were adapted to those situations. The individual’s survival is proof that those trauma responses worked. But now, in different circumstances, those responses may not be as helpful. This is why they may be seen as dysfunctional.
Why survival strategies differ from person to person
One fundamental reason that survival strategies vary between people is that the circumstances the strategies developed in are different from person to person. This becomes even more clear when the various factors involved are considered:
• age at trauma • duration and repetition • type of threat • access to support • ability to escape or resist
No survival strategy is better or worse than another, although they can be better adapted to some situations than others, making them more or less effective as a result. The “right” trauma response to a situation is unique to each individual and depends on that person’s experiences.
Common categories of trauma responses
There is a wide variety and range of trauma responses. There are too many to discuss here, but a sample of them include:
• hypervigilance (heightened alertness or scanning for danger)
• emotional shutdown or numbing
• avoidance or withdrawal
• people-pleasing or appeasement
• control-seeking or rigidity
• dissociation
Why these responses persist into adulthood
As the nervous system identifies responses to threat which are effective in reducing harm or increasing protection, it begins to use them more. The more responses are used, the more deeply ingrained they become in the nervous system. Because these responses are related to survival, the nervous system does not give them up easily and they usually continue to be activated even when the circumstances have changed and no threat is present.
When survival strategies become costly
Although these survival strategies were helpful at the time they were developed, they can create difficulties later in life when the circumstances have changed. For instance, if a person grew up in an environment where raised voices meant anger and danger, they might have developed a survival strategy of fawning or appeasing. As an adult, they may have a partner who gets loud when they are happy and excited. Although no danger is present, the original survival strategy gets activated when it is not needed. The nervous system is unaware that circumstances have changed and continues to do its best to protect the individual as it did earlier in life.
Healing as updating safety, not erasing responses
When it comes to trauma responses, healing is about helping the nervous system understand that conditions have changed and are safer. As the nervous system updates its understanding of the situation, it is able to try new options and learn which are best adapted to the present. Gradually, the new and more adaptive responses become more common and eventually become the primary responses. This is often a slow and uneven process and may happen slowly enough that the person is unaware of the gradual changes until they reach a certain level.