Trauma Impacts Mental Health. When we experience trauma, the act of speaking up can feel insurmountable. Client tell me they sometimes have feelings of guilt and shame arise after traumatic incidents, reinforcing an inner narrative that keeps us silent. I have seen this be especially true after sexual assaults or family betrayal. Clients tell me they perceive themselves to be “weak” or “less than” for experiencing the very real symptoms associated with surviving traumatic incidents. The symptoms are different and cause people to function and see their world differently. They feel, “crazy,” adding to the shame and guilt. These emotions can significantly impact mental health over time, leading to isolation, low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. If you’re someone who feels trapped in the silence of unspoken trauma, it’s important to know that healing is possible, and psychotherapy can be a valuable pathway to freedom. Trauma impacts mental health and I have personally witnessed clients walk away from the therapeutic engagement living life again.

The Weight of Silence

Trauma survivors often keep their experiences to themselves, feeling a deep-seated shame that distorts how they see themselves and others. This shame is different from guilt. While guilt tells us “I did something bad,” shame goes further, whispering, “I am bad.” In a study published by the Journal of Traumatic Stress, researchers found that trauma-induced shame significantly correlates with a range of mental health challenges, from PTSD to depressive symptoms (Harman & Lee, 2010). Without addressing these emotions, many feel isolated, questioning their self-worth and struggling with overwhelming feelings of failure and inadequacy. Life starts to fall apart, relationships are compromised and jobs can even be on the line.

Real-Life Example: Miguel’s Story

Consider Miguel, a professional in his mid-thirties who sought help after years of coping alone with childhood trauma. As his career progressed, he started feeling inexplicably anxious. No matter what he did, no matter how many podcasts he listened to, or how many meditation apps he downloaded, or how many TV shows he binged in the evenings, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow “failing” despite his success. Miguel shared, “I’ve always felt like I don’t deserve to be happy” but I cannot contain it anymore.

This self-doubt is common among trauma survivors who feel unable to speak up. Miguel learned to suppress his emotions, fearful of the consequences of speaking up when he was younger, and that morphed into career-focused energy, until it didn’t.

The Long-Term Mental Health Impact of Unspoken Trauma

Research has shown that untreated trauma often leads to emotional difficulties later in life. According to the American Psychological Association, unresolved trauma can result in “disrupted personal and professional relationships, chronic self-criticism, and an inability to experience pleasure or fulfillment.” Furthermore, unspoken trauma can distort our worldview, making it challenging to trust others or believe in our potential.

For people like Miguel, this pattern of self-blame and secrecy can lead to what’s known as complex PTSD—a condition marked by emotional flashbacks, toxic shame, and difficulty maintaining healthy relationships (van der Kolk, 2014). Left untreated, these effects can spiral into long-term depression, anxiety disorders, and self-isolation. There is a lot of controversy in therapeutic circles about complex PTSD. In the USA, this is not an official diagnosis, and so diagnostic-centric clinicians often overlook this and, as a result, some clients find themselves in an endless cycle of counseling addressing symptoms with bandaids. Jordan Nodelman, LCSW, LICSW, BCD, uses EMDR and other tools (e.g. Brainspotting, DNMS, Ego-State work), to dig deeper, unwrapping the root that causes the symptoms of complex PTSD. Jordan sees complex PTSD as a viable explanation for most of the symptoms survivors of significant, repeated, traumas can cause. Complex PTSD is treatable. It is not straight forward, but there are paths to more understanding, untangling unhelpful thoughts and learning to reduce shame-based thoughts.

How Psychotherapy Can Help

As an EMDR-Certified specialist, I guide clients through structured steps in psychotherapy to help them process trauma. Therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) help release the burden of traumatic memories that get “stuck” in the brain. EMDR has been widely recognized for its effectiveness in helping individuals confront and reprocess traumatic memories without needing to verbally relive every detail. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that EMDR significantly reduces PTSD symptoms by reprocessing memories and transforming how these memories impact the individual’s emotions and self-beliefs (Shapiro, 2018).

Through EMDR, clients like Miguel can access memories in a safe, controlled way and begin to reframe their relationship with trauma. This gradual shift in self-view allows client to challenge the unhelpful thoughts and start to see that new connections that are healthy are possible.

Moving Beyond Guilt and Shame

Psychotherapy is a collaborative journey, allowing you to move from the isolation of silence to a space of acceptance and self-compassion. When trauma survivors find the courage to share their experiences, they often realize they are not alone. Psychotherapy provides the tools to process traumatic memories and manage the residual guilt and shame that linger long after the traumatic event has passed.

With specialized techniques such as EMDR, trauma survivors can challenge limiting beliefs about themselves, reclaim their personal narratives, and find renewed meaning in life. It isn’t an easy process but it is a rewarding process. Unlocking years of shame is freeing.

Bibliography

• Harman, R., & Lee, D. (2010). The role of shame and self-critical thinking in the development and maintenance of current threat in post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 23(5), 570–582.
• Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures. Guilford Publications.
• van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking Press.
• American Psychological Association. (2013). The long-term effects of trauma. American Journal of Psychiatry, 170(6), 637–648.

If you’re seeking to release the shame and embrace healing, know that support is available, and recovery is possible.