Written By Lauren Rivers, MS : Resident in Counseling
As empirical research on trauma becomes more widespread and readily available, we learn just how impactful a traumatic experience can be. These impacts are far-reaching and influence almost all aspects of an individual. But what happens when trauma meets adolescence, puberty, and the fast-paced social and emotional changes that come with this developmental stage? I’m going to share some of the different ways trauma affects adolescents, from an increased rate of self-harm and dissociation to unnecessary, insensitive labels, and the biology of the brain.
“40% of sexual abuse survivors participate in self-injurious behavior, of one form or another” (Lev-Wiesel & Zohar, 2014; as cited in Suyemoto, 1998). Often, this self-injurious behavior involves a level of dissociation (Lev-Wiesel & Zohar, 2014). Peritraumatic and persistent dissociation are two types of dissociation associated with self-harm and trauma. Peritraumatic dissociation is the type of dissociation we typically see present itself as a sort of “protective barrier” during the traumatic or stressful event. The best way I've heard this described, by Dr. Frank Ochberg, is that it essentially you "giving your body up to protect your soul", "a form of natural anesthesia." Whereas, persistent dissociation is longer lasting and can generally make it more difficult for the individual to access (and therefore, resolve) the memories (Lev-Wiesel & Zohar, 2014).
This is concerning because this persistence often paves the way for continuous psychopathology and distress due to an inability to process it. Dissociation and self-injurious behaviors are just two symptoms, or behaviors, that can surface after trauma. We see the effects of trauma on a much deeper level, as well.
For adolescent females, in particular, the occurrence of mood-related disorders appears to increase after trauma (Malhi et al., 2019). During the “pre-teen” years, many adolescent females receive labels such as, “moody,” “difficult,” or even “bratty.” However, we know that this critical development period is when the brain is in one of its most malleable, or “plastic” states (Malhi et al., 2019). High plasticity in the brain means more susceptibility to change, growth, and formulation of new connections. While this is crucial for development, the brain is left rather vulnerable to harmful experiences - especially those involving stress and trauma (Malhi et al., 2019).
This harmful exposure often leads to symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and mood disorders. Our limbic system, the brain’s HQ for all things emotional (and memory and motivation) plays the VIP role concerning the development of mental health disorders after trauma (Malhi et al., 2019). Why? Because the limbic system houses our hippocampus, and our hippocampus is especially sensitive to trauma and distress (Malhi et al., 2019).
Interestingly enough, the type of trauma (emotional, physical or sexual abuse), the age of the individual when the trauma occurred, and the individual’s sex at birth all play a unique role in how the traumatic experience impacts the hippocampus (Malhi et al., 2019). Research by Infurna et al., 2016 & Mandelli et al., 2015 found that emotional abuse typically produces more harmful outcomes,than does sexual or physical abuse (Malhi et al., 2019; as cited in Infura et al., 2016; Mandelli et al., 2015).
Whenever I share some of this information with a client, they appear as shocked as I was when I first learned this stuff! Never, under any circumstances, underestimate or compare your abuse or trauma to others, even if you think it is smaller because "it was just emotional abuse", for example.
Your trauma has impacted you and that is all that matters. It is valid.
I hope this helps you understand a little bit more about how trauma impacts others, not just adolescents. Please keep in mind that a traumatic experience can strongly shape a persons development and growth, and unnecessary labels or added difficulties only continue to hinder their growth.
REFERENCES
Malhi, G.S., Das, P., Outhred, T., Irwin, L., Gessler, D., Bwabi, Z., Bryant, R., & Mannie, Z. (2019). The effects of childhood trauma on adolescent hippocampal subfields. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 53 (5). Retrieved from: https://journals-sagepub-com.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/doi/full/10.1177/0004867418824021
Lev-Wiesel, R., & Zohar, G. (2014). The Role of Dissociation in Self-Injurious Behavior among Female Adolescents Who Were Sexually Abused. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, Vol (23). Retrieved from: http://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=814d0090-db27-4190-8c68-d13776431b6c%40sessionmgr103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl
Suyemoto, K. L. (1998). The functions of self mutilation. Clinical Psychology Review, 18(5), 531–554.