Unresolved trauma refers to traumas individuals have suppressed, avoided, or not adequately processed. These experiences often occur in childhood but continue to affect interpersonal relationships, thoughts, feelings, or behaviors into adulthood. Survivors with unresolved trauma may struggle with reoccurring flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts associated with the event.
Recover from Trauma with the Help of a Therapist.
Therapy can help you live a better life. BetterHelp provides convenient and affordable online therapy, starting at $65 per week and is FSA/HSA eligible by most providers. Take a free online assessment and get matched with the right therapist for you!
What Is Unresolved Trauma?
Unresolved trauma is the lasting impact of a traumatic experience that hasn’t been fully processed or healed. Trauma can stem from various distressing events, like abuse, neglect, accidents, loss, or witnessing violence. When trauma isn’t resolved, its emotional, psychological, and even physical effects can linger, influencing a person’s behavior, relationships, and overall well-being.
People respond to trauma differently: some may recognize and address it immediately, while others might only notice symptoms later, often due to repressed or blocked memories. When left unaddressed, these symptoms—such as anxiety, depression, or chronic stress—can worsen over time, deeply affecting both mental and physical health.
Signs of Unresolved Trauma
Unresolved trauma can manifest in many ways, as everyone responds to distress differently. Common signs include persistent anxiety, depression, flashbacks, nightmares, emotional numbness, or difficulty trusting others. It can also cause a person to feel “stuck,” unable to move past the traumatic event, and may lead to patterns of avoidance, difficulty regulating emotions, or self-destructive behavior.
Common signs of unresolved trauma include:1, 2
- Intrusive thoughts about the trauma
- Avoiding places, people, or activities that are reminders of the trauma.
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- Nightmares associated with the trauma
- Hypervigilance
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Feeling detached or disconnected from emotions or surroundings
- Difficulty trusting
- Low self-esteem or pervasive shame
- Uncontrolled anger or sudden outbursts
- A strong need for control over oneself or the environment
- PTSD flashbacks
- Substance misuse
- Unexplained physical pain or discomfort, such as headaches, stomachaches, or muscle tension.
- Self-harm
- Panic attacks
- Dissociation
- Development or worsening of conditions like depression, anxiety, or OCD
- Suicidal ideation
Causes of Unresolved Trauma
Trauma can remain unresolved for many reasons, often because the mind and body aren’t given the opportunity to fully process the experience. When someone experiences trauma, their natural fight or flight response can become overwhelming, leaving the brain stuck in survival mode. Without proper support, these unprocessed emotions and sensations get stored in the body, creating a sense of ongoing threat long after the event has passed. This can make it difficult to access and heal the trauma.
Another cause of unresolved trauma is when someone lacks a safe environment to process what happened. If the trauma is ignored by others, or the person feels ashamed or unsupported, they might suppress their feelings to avoid vulnerability. Complex trauma, like childhood neglect or repeated abuse, can layer over time, making it harder to pinpoint or process individual events. Without access to trauma-informed therapy, the person might struggle to fully release what their body and mind have been holding onto.
How Unresolved Trauma Affects Daily Life
Unresolved trauma can touch almost every part of a person’s life, often in ways that feel overwhelming and hard to manage. Emotionally, individuals may struggle with anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and a general sense of feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope with daily challenges. They might experience intense emotions like anger, fear, or sadness without clear triggers, or feel emotionally numb and disconnected from themselves and others.
Unresolved trauma can impact a person’s thoughts and beliefs about themselves and the world. People often develop shame and guilt, as well as negative thinking patterns, like believing they’re unlovable or always in danger. This makes it hard to trust others or feel safe and can cause them to withdraw from relationships or avoid intimacy.
On a physical level, unresolved trauma often takes a toll on the body, too. Many people experience chronic pain, headaches, stomach issues, or fatigue. This ongoing stress can weaken the immune system, increase the risk of heart problems, and make existing health conditions worse. To cope, some might turn to unhealthy habits like substance misuse, self-harm, or disordered eating, which might offer temporary relief but can ultimately make things harder.
Treatment for Trauma & PTSD
Therapy for PTSD – Get help recovering from trauma from a licensed therapist. BetterHelp offers online therapy starting at $65 per week and is FSA/HSA eligible by most providers. Free Assessment
Online PTSD Treatment – Talkiatry offers personalized care from psychiatrists who listen and take insurance. Get matched with a specialist in just 15 minutes. Take their assessment.
Treatment for Unresolved Trauma
Finding the right treatment is key to healing from trauma. Therapy is a critical part of recovery, providing a safe and supportive space to work through painful emotions and experiences. For some people, medication can also play an important role, particularly when dealing with anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions alongside trauma.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
There are many different types of trauma therapies that are designed to provide a safe and supportive environment for individuals to process and heal from their traumatic experiences. These therapies recognize the complex ways trauma affects both the mind and body and offer various approaches to help individuals regain control, reduce symptoms, and build healthier coping strategies.3
Trauma-Informed Therapy Options
- Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT): TF-CBT is designed primarily for children and their families. It helps them work together to understand and address the effects of trauma, providing tools to cope with trauma-related thoughts and behaviors.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages individuals to briefly focus on trauma memories while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements). This process is believed to reduce the vividness and emotional charge of traumatic memories, helping individuals process trauma more effectively.
- Prolonged exposure therapy (PE): PE involves repeated, detailed recounting of the trauma in a controlled setting. The goal is to help individuals confront and process traumatic memories in a way that reduces their distress.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): DBT for PTSD focuses on skills like mindfulness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance to help individuals manage symptoms of trauma more effectively.
Body-Centered Therapy
Body-centered therapies are increasingly recognized for their effectiveness in reducing symptoms of unresolved trauma in both children and adults. These therapies focus on the connection between the mind and body, emphasizing how trauma is often stored physically in the body and needs to be released.4
Body-Centered Therapy Options
- Somatic therapy: Somatic therapy uses the body’s natural processes, such as breathing and movement, as a primary method of healing, helping individuals release unresolved trauma stored in the body.
- Dance and movement therapy: Dance and movement therapy enhances body awareness and interoception (the sense of internal body sensations) in trauma survivors. This therapy typically focuses on creating a sense of safety, regulating arousal levels, and fostering greater self-awareness.
- Trauma release exercises (TRE): TRE involves specific exercises that trigger natural muscle tremors and shaking to help the body release built-up trauma and stress.
Medication
Medications like antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and mood stabilizers can be helpful in managing symptoms related to unresolved trauma, such as anxiety, depression, or mood swings. However, medication is typically used in combination with therapy, as it alone does not address the root causes or allow for the full processing of traumatic experiences. A comprehensive treatment plan often integrates both therapeutic interventions and medication to support trauma symptoms.5
How to Cope With Unresolved Trauma
Coping strategies are essential for managing the symptoms of unresolved trauma. Different approaches work for different people, so it’s important to stay open and try various methods to find what suits you best.
Here are some effective coping strategies that can help you deal with unresolved trauma:
- Develop a routine: Creating a daily routine can provide structure and predictability, which is often comforting for those dealing with trauma. Include regular times for activities that support your well-being, such as exercise, relaxation, and healthy eating.
- Prioritize self-care: Taking care of yourself is crucial for healing. Self-care includes activities that help you relax and recharge, like exercising, meditating, spending time in nature, or simply taking a break to do something you enjoy. When you feel more balanced and energized, it becomes easier to cope with the effects of trauma.
- Journaling: Journaling about the trauma can help you process what happened. Writing down your thoughts and feelings allows you to express things that may be hard to talk about and can help you understand triggers or patterns that affect your mental health.
- Practice grounding exercises: Grounding techniques help bring your focus back to the present when you feel overwhelmed. Simple exercises like deep breathing, noticing the sensations around you, or using the 5-4-3-2-1 method (identifying things you can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste) can help calm your mind and body.
- Try mindfulness: Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment without judgment. It helps you become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and body sensations, making it easier to stay calm and handle distressing memories or triggers.
- Incorporate physical activity: Regular exercise, like walking, jogging, or yoga, can help release tension and improve mood by boosting endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Physical activity can also help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression linked to trauma.
- Seek social support: Connecting with supportive friends, family members, or support groups can provide comfort and understanding. Sharing your experiences with people you trust can help you feel less alone and more understood.
How to Find Professional Support
Finding professional support for unresolved trauma can feel overwhelming, but taking that step can make a big difference in your healing journey. Mental health professionals are trained to help you process and work through trauma, offering the support and tools you need to cope and rebuild. Online therapist directories like Grow Therapy let you filter by location, expertise, and specialty, making it easier to find someone experienced in trauma-informed care, especially if you’ve been through abusive relationships. Online therapy platforms like BetterHelp and Talkspace also offer convenient access to experienced therapists, so you can connect from the comfort of your own home.
In My Experience
Choosing Therapy strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
-
Bailey, H. N., Moran, G., & Pederson, D. R. (2007). Childhood maltreatment, complex trauma symptoms, and unresolved attachment in an at-risk sample of adolescent mothers. Attachment & Human Development, 9(2), 139–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616730701349721
-
Cardoso, J. B. (2018). Running to stand still: Trauma symptoms, coping strategies, and substance use behaviors in unaccompanied migrant youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 92, 143–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.04.018
-
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2014). Trauma-informed care in behavioral health services. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 57. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4816. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
-
Price, C. J. (2005). Body-oriented therapy in recovery from child sexual abuse: An efficacy study. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 11(5), 46-57.
-
Davidson, J. R. T., Baldwin, D. S., Stein, D. J., Pedersen, R., & Ahmed, S. (2008). Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder with antidepressants and other medications. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 22(1), 72-83. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881107083795
We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.
Author: Ismar Alburquerque, NCC, LMHC, LMFT (No Change)
Reviewer: Naveed Saleh, MD, MS (No Change)
Primary Changes: Added section titled “Causes of Unresolved Trauma.” New content was written by Amanda Stretcher, MA, LPC-S, and medically reviewed by Naveed Saleh, MD, MS. Fact-checked and edited for improved readability and clarity.
Author: Ismar Alburquerque, NCC, LMHC, LMFT (No Change)
Reviewer: Naveed Saleh, MD, MS (No Change)
Primary Changes: Fact-checked and edited for improved readability and clarity.
Author: Ismar Alburquerque, NCC, LMHC, LMFT
Reviewer: Naveed Saleh, MD, MS
Your Voice Matters
Can't find what you're looking for?
Request an article! Tell ChoosingTherapy.com’s editorial team what questions you have about mental health, emotional wellness, relationships, and parenting. Our licensed therapists are just waiting to cover new topics you care about!
Leave your feedback for our editors.
Share your feedback on this article with our editors. If there’s something we missed or something we could improve on, we’d love to hear it.
Our writers and editors love compliments, too. :)
Additional Resources
To help our readers take the next step in their mental health journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy is compensated for marketing by the companies included below.
Online Therapy
BetterHelp – Get support and guidance from a licensed therapist. BetterHelp has over 30,000 therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. BetterHelp starts at $65 per week and is FSA/HSA eligible by most providers. Take a free online assessment and get matched with the right therapist for you. Free Assessment
PTSD Treatment & Medication Management Covered by Insurance
Talkiatry – offers personalized care from psychiatrists who listen. They offer medication management and they’re in-network with every major insurer. Take a free assessment.
Ketamine Therapy for PTSD
Better U – offers personalized ketamine therapy with 1-on-1 coaching, all from the comfort of your own home. Address the root cause of PTSD and live a more fulfilling life. Start Your Free Assessment
Trauma & Abuse Newsletter
A free newsletter for those impacted by trauma or abuse. Get encouragement, helpful tips, and the latest information. Sign Up
Choosing Therapy Directory
You can search for therapists by specialty, experience, insurance, or price, and location. Find a therapist today.
Best Online Therapy Services
There are a number of factors to consider when trying to determine which online therapy platform is going to be the best fit for you. It’s important to be mindful of what each platform costs, the services they provide you with, their providers’ training and level of expertise, and several other important criteria.
9 Types of Therapy for Trauma
Experiencing trauma can result in distressing and debilitating symptoms, but remind yourself that there is hope for healing. If you or a loved one is suffering from the aftereffects of trauma, consider seeking therapy. Trauma therapy can help you reclaim your life and a positive sense of self.