Trauma can have a profound effect on your sense of time, leaving you feeling stuck in the past or struggling to stay present in the moment. This can have a significant impact on your emotional wellbeing and quality of life. Here's what you need to know about how trauma alters your sense of time, how that affects you emotionally, and what you can do about it.

How Trauma Alters Your Sense of Time

Trauma can cause a distorted sense of time, leading you to feel like the traumatic event is happening again, even though it has already passed. This is because trauma affects the way your brain processes and stores memories. Instead of being stored in a linear timeline, traumatic memories can become fragmented and disjointed, making it difficult to differentiate past, present, and future.

This can lead to a sense of timelessness, where the past feels like it's happening in the present, and the future seems uncertain and overwhelming. This can leave you feeling stuck in the past, struggling to move on from the trauma and unable to live in the present.

When someone experiences a traumatic event, the brain's ability to process and store memories can become disrupted. The amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions, becomes overactive, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for creating new memories, can become damaged. This can lead to a fragmented and disorganized storage of memories, which can make it difficult for the brain to differentiate between past, present, and future. As a result, time can feel distorted or altered, with the traumatic event feeling like it's happening again in the present moment. The brain's response to trauma is complex and varies from person to person, but it's important to understand that trauma can have a significant impact on our perception of time and can affect our emotional wellbeing.

How Trauma Affects You Emotionally

A distorted sense of time can have a significant impact on your emotional wellbeing, leading to feelings of anxiety, depression, and helplessness. It can also impact your ability to form relationships and connect with others, as you may feel disconnected from the present moment and unable to fully engage with those around you.

The constant re-experiencing of traumatic events can also lead to a heightened sense of fear and hypervigilance, making it difficult to feel safe and secure in the world. This can impact your overall quality of life and lead to a cycle of avoidance and isolation.

What You Can Do About Trauma

The good news is that there are strategies and therapies that can help you regain a sense of time and improve your emotional wellbeing after trauma. Here are some options to consider:

1. Seek therapy: A qualified therapist can help you process your trauma, work through your feelings of anxiety and fear, and develop coping strategies to help you live in the present.

2. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and deep breathing, can help you stay present in the moment and reduce feelings of anxiety and hypervigilance.

3. Practice self-care: Engaging in self-care activities, such as exercise, healthy eating, and getting enough sleep, can help you feel more grounded and centered in the present moment.

4. Connect with others: Building and maintaining healthy relationships with others can help you feel more connected to the present moment and reduce feelings of isolation.

Therapy can be a powerful tool for individuals who have experienced trauma and are struggling with a distorted sense of time. A skilled therapist can help clients process their traumatic experiences and develop strategies for staying present in the moment. Through mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing and meditation, clients can learn to quiet the mind and tune into the present moment, helping them to feel more grounded and aware of their surroundings. Therapy can also help clients identify and challenge negative thoughts and beliefs that may be contributing to their distorted sense of time. With support and guidance from a therapist, individuals can learn to develop a healthier relationship with time and feel more in control of their emotional well-being.

Trauma can have a significant impact on your sense of time, leaving you feeling stuck in the past or disconnected from the present. However, by seeking therapy, practicing mindfulness, engaging in self-care, and connecting with others, you can regain a sense of time and improve your emotional well-being after a traumatic event. If you're struggling with the effects of trauma, don't hesitate to reach out for help.

Trauma Therapy & PTSD Therapy in Houston, TX

If you are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder or other kinds of stress and would like to talk to a professional PTSD therapist, contact us online to schedule an appointment or call 713-565-0922 to ask questions about how we can help. PTSD treatment in Texas can help you.