According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, about 70% of American adults experience trauma at least once in their life. Unfortunately, trauma is one of the leading risk factors for mental health disorders as well as substance use disorders.
The topic of trauma and mental health is sometimes focused on traumatic events, such as combat duty, car accidents, and natural disasters, like earthquakes or tornadoes. While these are extremely troubling events and can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder, there is another type of trauma that can impact your mental health and well-being, referred to as interpersonal trauma.
Interpersonal trauma is trauma that develops in the context of a relationship with another person. Interpersonal trauma can develop from relationships with strangers, acquaintances, friends, partners or family members. Examples include:
Interpersonal trauma is unfortunately common and is growing in importance as a public health concern, especially in teens and adolescents. Trauma and pain inflicted over a long period of time can be particularly difficult to overcome.
One of the most significant risks associated with interpersonal trauma is depression, according to research published in Frontier is Psychiatry. Untreated depression can contribute to:
Depression reaches into all aspects of your life from work to home to social outings. All of these symptoms of depression can reduce your quality of life, decrease self-esteem, and reduce work performance.
In addition to depression, unresolved trauma can make you feel constantly on edge so it’s hard to relax and focus. You may also find that trauma from the past makes it hard to develop healthy relationships or to engage in and truly enjoy new relationships in the present.
Trauma from childhood can create long-lasting effects that linger into adulthood. This includes increased risk of anxiety (especially social phobias) and difficulty trusting others.
If you’re struggling with the long-term impacts of trauma, the right type of psychotherapy can certainly help. You don’t have to heal from trauma on your own.
Our team of therapists at Psychology Beverly Hills offer compassionate mental health care to help people recover from trauma, regain their self worth and develop more satisfying relationships.
Here at Psychology Beverly Hills, we offer services to help you overcome the emotional burden of interpersonal trauma with evidence based treatment plans that include therapeutic modalities such as:
You are welcome to contact us with any questions or consultation needs by calling our Beverly Hills, California office at 424-331-1570 or by using our online scheduling tool to easily book an appointment.
