Treatment for Trauma and Abuse in Adults
When we experience trauma and abuse, we’re terrified. Often, we’re scared for our (or someone else’s) life, and because of this, we experience a range of emotions that feel impossible to process, let alone control.
If you’ve ever experienced trauma or abuse, you’ll know that it’s not easy coming back from the experience. Some people describe it as a part of them being left at the site of the incident – frozen in time.
And while trauma and abuse can have a profound impact on our emotional and physical well-being after the fact, there are treatment options available to help us heal. To help you get answered for yourself or someone you love, this page will cover:
- Signs and symptoms of trauma and abuse
- Causes of trauma and abuse in adults
- Treatment options for trauma and abuse in adults, such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Group Therapy
What Is Trauma and Abuse?
“Trauma” is our emotional response to a terrifying, stressful, or shocking event. For example, a crime, accident, or natural disaster. When these events bring about feelings that are hard or feel impossible to control, we call it trauma.
“Abuse,” on the other hand, refers to any act that violates someone’s rights and safety. This can include sex, physical, emotional, or psychological mistreatment.3
In cases when abuse and trauma coincide, such as when someone experiences sexual abuse, it can lead to a mental health condition called PTSD. PTSD develops in response to frightening events that threaten a person’s life or health. Someone can also struggle with PTSD if the threat was to someone they care about, like a child or loved one.3
Types of Trauma and Abuse
Let’s explore some of the main forms of trauma and abuse:
- Childhood Trauma: Any event that leaves us fearing our life or physical well-being as a child. This could include witnessing domestic violence, losing a loved one, bullying, community violence, neglect, and so on.
- Domestic Abuse: An incident or series of incidents within a couple that involve coercion, control, threats, or violent behavior.
- Psychological Trauma: Situations where someone frightens or manipulates another, and in the process alters their self-esteem and world view.
- Sexual Abuse: Any behavior of a sexual nature that is unwanted or nonconsensual. Sexual abuse can be verbal, online, or psychological, as well as physical.
- Physical Abuse: Any intentional act to harm or traumatize another person or animal, such as hitting, punching, kicking, slapping, or restraining.
- Financial Abuse: Abuse which involves having money or assets stolen, such as a person’s belongings, being put under pressure to make certain financial decisions, or being defrauded.
Signs and Symptoms of Trauma and Abuse in Adults
Signs of Trauma and Abuse2,5
- Self-injury
- Depression
- Heart problems
- Fearful behavior
- Eating disorders
- Suicidal behavior
- Digestive problems
- Intense anxiety or stress
- Always feeling tired or lethargic
- General pain or psychosomatic symptoms
Signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder4
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Outbursts of anger
- Chronically low mood
- Sleep disturbances, such as insomnia
- Intrusive thoughts related to the event
- Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event
- Negative feelings toward yourself and the world
But just as a reminder, the signs differ depending on the form of trauma or abuse a person has suffered. To find out the specific signs for each form, check out our specific pages on childhood trauma, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, psychological trauma, sexual abuse, and physical abuse.
Causes of Anger Issues
The causes of trauma can be one-off or ongoing events (also known as complex trauma). We’ll explore each in turn:
Trauma From One-Off Events
- Natural disasters, such as floods, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, or tsunamis.
- Accidents, like a car crash, airplane accident, or a fall
- Witnessing violence, for example seeing someone become seriously injured
- Acts of terrorism, like a bombing or attack
- Violent assaults, such as a mugging, sexual assault, or physical attack
- Medical emergencies, like complications during childbirth or a life-threatening health crisis
- House fire, leading to destruction of property or risk to list
- Loss of a loved one, for example, a sudden death
Trauma From Ongoing Events
- Financial insecurity or poverty, making it difficult to cater to your own (or your family’s) basic needs
- Bullying or harassment at home, work, school, or online
- Chronic abuse of any form, such as sexual, physical, or emotional
- Long-term illness that results in significant changes to daily life
- Living in a war zone with long-term exposure to bombings or conflict
- Domestic violence, meaning living in an environment where you fear for your (and other people’s) safety
Both forms of trauma have a big impact on a person’s life. However, trauma from ongoing events can lead to more long-term implications, such as difficulties regulating your nervous system and significant changes to behavior, relationships, and self-view.6 Nevertheless, both forms of trauma can alter a person’s life and their mental well-being.
Trauma and Abuse and Other Mental Health Difficulties
The following mental health difficulties have been linked to trauma and abuse:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Research also shows that areas of the brain related to generalized anxiety disorder, such as the middle temporal gyrus, aren’t as thick for those who have experienced abuse.7
- ADHD: Abuse during childhood is supposedly linked to challenging behaviors in teens, as well as ADHD.8
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder: Abuse during childhood also appears to be linked to antisocial behaviors, criminal activity, and oppositional defiant disorder.8
- Depression: Research shows that, alongside heightened challenging behaviors, children who have experienced abuse often direct their difficult feelings inward, which increases their risk of depression.2
- Suicidal Thoughts: Those who have had traumatic experiences such as sexual assault are more likely to struggle with self-injury and suicidal thoughts.2
- Eating Disorders: Another potential long-term consequence of abuse or trauma is the development of disordered eating.2
Due to the impact abuse may have on mental and physical health, seeking professional support is vital. Below, we explore the treatment options available.
Treatment Options for Trauma and Abuse in Adults
If you have experienced trauma and abuse and it’s affecting your life as an adult, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with the after-effects of trauma, and there’s no shame in needing support with this. In fact, trauma is one of the most common reasons why people reach out for support from the team at Mission Connection.
Here are the main treatment options available for trauma and abuse in adults:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Eye Movement Desensitization Therapy (EMDR)
Trauma-Focused Psychodynamic Therapy
Group Therapy
It’s important to choose the approach that’s right for you. If you need guidance on the best treatment option for you, the team at Mission Connection is happy to help. We can offer a fully personalized treatment program that’s tailored to your needs, lifestyle, and budget.
Reach out to us today for support.
Living With Trauma and Abuse as an Adult
We always recommend therapeutic support for adults struggling with trauma and abuse. However, you can make choices and changes to your life to go alongside your therapy, supporting you and aiding your recovery.
Here are three key steps you can take to support yourself:
1. Build a Strong Social Network12
Your first instinct after experiencing trauma or abuse may be to close in on yourself and withdraw. However, the people you have around you can act like your anchors, supporting you and encouraging you throughout your recovery.
Research shows that having a strong social network post-trauma can help build your self-compassion, which in turn can reduce the impact of the after-effects of trauma. Social support also eases symptoms of many of the mental health conditions associated with trauma, such as anxiety and depression.
2. Take Care of Yourself13
When you experience trauma and abuse, it can feel like a piece of you is left behind. It’s common to question everything after an event shakes your world like this – you question yourself, your worldview, and those around you. Now, more than ever, it’s important to pack self-care strategies into your weekly routine.
Self-care strategies like taking care of your well-being through healthy sleep habits, regular exercise, and hobbies you enjoy can help you heal after your trauma.2
3. Practice Mindfulness14
Research shows that mindfulness-based practices such as yoga and meditation can be extremely beneficial for those who have experienced trauma. In fact, it doesn’t appear to matter what mental health condition you have, mindfulness is still effective.
The key when it comes to practicing mindfulness is consistency. If you integrate mindfulness into your routine for 8 consecutive weeks and beyond, you’ll likely see a significant positive change in how your trauma affects you.
Seek Support for Abuse and Trauma Today
One minute you’re fine, and the next: you’ve had an unthinkable experience that’s turned your world upside down. This is how it can feel after a traumatic event or if you experience abuse.
If this is you or someone you love, know that it’s okay not to have all the answers right now. The very nature of trauma and abuse pushes us into emotions that are outside of what we feel we can control or even bear.
Fortunately, you don’t need to have all of the answers – that’s what mental health experts are for. At Mission Connection, we have a team of compassionate, highly trained mental health clinicians who are ready to help you on your journey toward healing.
With a range of therapy approaches and treatment options to suit you (including in-person and telehealth therapy options), we will meet you where you’re at. Get in touch with us today at 866-814-2263. We’re here to help.
References
1. World Health Organization. (2024, May 27). Post-traumatic stress disorder. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/post-traumatic-stress-disorder#:~:text=Around%2070%25%20of%20people%20globally,following%20sexual%20violence%20(1).
2. Office on Women’s Health. (2021). Abuse, trauma, and mental health. https://womenshealth.gov/mental-health/abuse-trauma-and-mental-health
3. Brunton, R. (2023). Child abuse: Definitions, prevalence, and considerations in assessment. In Perinatal care and considerations for survivors of child abuse (pp. 7–27). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37512-3_2
4. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2014). Trauma-informed care in behavioral health services (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 57). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4816.pdf
5. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2014). Understanding the impact of trauma. In Trauma-informed care in behavioral health services (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 57). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4816.pdf
6. Lawson, D. M., Davis, D., & Brandon, S. (2013). Treating complex trauma: Critical interventions with adults who experienced ongoing trauma in childhood. Psychotherapy, 50(3), 331–335. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032677
7. Busso, D. S., McLaughlin, K. A., Brueck, S., Peverill, M., Gold, A. L., & Sheridan, M. A. (2017). Child abuse, neural structure, and adolescent psychopathology: A longitudinal study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(4), 321-328.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2017.01.013
8. Jaffee, S. R. (2017). Child maltreatment and risk for psychopathology in childhood and adulthood. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 13, 525-551. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045005
9. Stein, M. B., & Norman, S. (2024). Posttraumatic stress disorder in adults: Psychotherapy and psychosocial interventions. In P. P. Roy-Byrne & M. Friedman (Eds.), UpToDate. Retrieved January 2025, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-in-adults-psychotherapy-and-psychosocial-interventions
10. Paintain, E., & Cassidy, S. (2018). First-line therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review of cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamic approaches. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 18(3), 237–250. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12174
11. Chouliara, Z., Karatzias, T., & Draucker, C. B. (2017). Therapeutic change in group therapy for interpersonal trauma: A relational framework for research and clinical practice. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 35(15-16). https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517696860
12. Maheux, A., & Price, M. (2016). The indirect effect of social support on post-trauma psychopathology via self-compassion. Personality and Individual Differences, 88, 102-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.08.051
13. Slade, M., Rennick-Egglestone, S., Blackie, L., Llewellyn-Beardsley, J., Franklin, D., Hui, A., Thornicroft, G., McGranahan, R., Pollock, K., Priebe, S., Ramsay, A., Roe, D., & Deakin, E. (2019). Post-traumatic growth in mental health recovery: Qualitative study of narratives. BMJ Open, 9(6), e029342. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029342
14. Taylor, J., McLean, L., Korner, A., Stratton, E., & Glozier, N. (2020). Mindfulness and yoga for psychological trauma: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 21(5), 536–573. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2020.1760167