Post-Trauma Anxiety: 10 Anxious Behaviors That Could Actually Be Trauma Responses

 / 

,

Developing post-trauma anxietyโ€‹โ€‹ or PTSD is a normal response to the pain you suffer. Experiencing trauma can lead you to exhibit several anxious responses; read on to know more about these 10 anxious behaviors that are actually trauma responses.

Key Points:

  • Viewing anxious behaviors through a trauma-informed lens teaches us that there is usually a reason for them.
  • Developing an understanding of our anxious behaviors can show us that there is nothing โ€œwrongโ€ with us.
  • Learning not to take things personally can help us understand loved ones with the same traits.
  • Having a few of these behaviors is normal, but if you can relate to many of them, it may indicate anxiety.

All people have peculiar behaviors. Sometimes they are not weird at all to us, yet may appear odd to an outside observer. While many behaviors are just, well, human, sometimes they can be due to anxiety.

Some of the stereotypical traits of anxiety include nervousness, fear of speaking in public, or fear of being in crowds. But many forms of anxiety are not as obvious, like that of people who actually prefer being in a crowd, yet dread a 1-on-1 coffee meetup.

No matter their level of recognition, many anxious behaviors may be linked to some experiences of childhood trauma. Research has demonstrated a link between trauma and many symptoms of anxiety, finding that our experiences in childhood and beyond often lead to behavior manifestations present well into adulthood.

A fear of being negatively viewed or evaluated manifests in many different ways. Many survivors of childhood trauma fear being put in a situation from which they cannot escape, such as having other people in their homes or safe spaces, and this can lead to a multitude of avoidance behaviors. The โ€œtrauma brainโ€ wants to avoid any experience that reminds us of a time when we were unable to escape from discomfort.

These responses manifest in many different areas of a personโ€™s life. While many of these are experienced by people who have not had trauma, and can be explained by other means, I find that these 10 are some of the most common anxious responses that I see in my personal life and in my therapy practice:

Related: 30+ Interesting Facts About PTSD

Post-trauma Anxiety: 10 Anxious Behaviors That May Actually Be Trauma Responses

1. Not Answering The Phone, Or Avoiding Making Calls.

Anxious Behaviors Not Answering The Phone

This one might seem obvious, and in my millennial social circle, it is not even seen as weird. To someone who does not have social anxiety, answering the phone might seem like a simple task, and avoiding it might just look like laziness.

However, what separates this from normal laziness or avoidance is the adrenaline and cortisol spike that follows for someone who has a trauma history. While simply ordering takeout or confirming the grocery list with a partner can be a neutral experience, answering an unexpected call inspires fear that the act might lead to a conversation in which we may be put on the spot. This is reminiscent of feelings of being caught, being put on the spot by parents or caregivers when there was no way out, or having our privacy or boundaries violated.

10 anxious behaviors

2. Shutting Down Or Being Silent In Groups And Other Social Settings.

Anxious Behaviors Shutting Down Or Being Silent

If this seems like obvious social anxiety, sometimes it is. Many forms of social anxiety can be the result of growing up in a chaotic environment, where our nervous system is constantly dysregulated, or where we constantly having to be โ€œonโ€โ€”ready to take care of someone else, or ready for a verbal altercation.

As a result, adult trauma survivors sometimes have experiences of being overstimulated during social settings. Situations where we are expected to present with a high level of engagement can be draining, and it may feel like there is no way to get a mental break. Instead, we โ€œcheck outโ€โ€”by looking at our phone, going to the bathroom to be alone, or becoming silent. In contrast, many people with social anxiety find that this experience is actually more stressful than being in a large crowd where we are not under any pressure to engage socially.

Related: Past Life Traumatic Stress Disorder: Carrying Unhealed Emotional Trauma From Your Past Life

3. Being Nervous Or Uncomfortable When Someone Sits Too Close To You.

Anxious Behaviors Being Nervous Or Uncomfortable

This is so common that there are memes based around the humor of this shared experience. Many people with social anxiety love having the movie theatre to themselves, or at least with large spaces in between them and the next group.

Having an unknown person sitting next to them at the movies instead can actually make an anxious person unable to focus on the film due to being so hyperaware of the close proximity to another person. When we grew up in an environment in which our boundaries were violated, we had a heightened sense of awareness of other people, and our position within a crowd or in a room. Therefore, having a large personal bubble becomes essential to maintaining internal comfort.

4. Needing To Sit In Certain Places Or Areas During Restaurant Visits Or Social Events.

Anxious Behaviors Needing To Sit In Certain Places

Many survivors of trauma report that they prefer to sit with their back to a wall, as opposed to a door or open space. Due to their constant state of hypervigilance, their nervous system keeps them โ€œreadyโ€ for any perceived, even if illogical, threat. Sitting where they can observe the room and those within it seems to calm that nervous tension, even if just for the moment.

5. Overeating Or Overdrinking.

Anxious Behaviors Overeating Or Overdrinking

Trauma survivors develop ways of self-soothing, often in the form of either indulging in or avoiding food or substances. In recent decades, the health industry has developed an increased understanding of the link between trauma and anxiety around food or drink. โ€œPeople who have eating disorders frequently have a history of adverse childhood experiences and traumaโ€ (Jones, 2021). While not all unhealthy patterns of eating or substance use will meet the criteria for a disorder, there is still often a link between oneโ€™s relationship with food and substances and adverse experiences or unmet needs in childhood.

6. Becoming instantly nervous when someone is knocking on your door who is unexpected/uninvited.

Anxious Behaviors Someone Knocking

I once joked that there are two types of people: those who answer the door when they hear a knock, and those who hide and wait for the person to leave. All joking aside, I was in my 30s before I realized that my reaction to an unexpected knock on my front door was not something that everyone had. Often this elevated sense of paranoia and anxiety is related to experiences as a child of being unable to escape.

Related: The Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma In Adulthood

7. Constantly Apologizing, Even For Things That Arenโ€™t Your (Or Anyoneโ€™s) Fault.

Anxious Behaviors Constantly Apologizing

When we are constantly criticized, or consistently made to feel that everything is our fault, we develop a strong sense of shame. This manifests in a constant need to over-apologize, even when you have not done anything wrong. This is often a result of emotional abuse or neglect in childhood.

8. Having A Heightened Startle Reflex.

Anxious Behaviors Having A Heightened Startle Reflex

When the nervous system is constantly dysregulated, it is common to have a heightened response to noises or stimuli that others might not notice or be bothered by. Having an increased startle response, or being โ€œjumpy,โ€ is correlated with childhood trauma and abuse.

Having A Heightened Startle Reflex

9. Not Wanting To Have People Over To Your House Because You Cannot Control When They Leave.

Anxious Behaviors Not Wanting To Have People Over

This is often due to not being able to control your own safe space, such as growing up in a home in which boundaries were blurred and privacy was violated.

Related: Suffered Trauma? 7 Keys To Unlocking Post-Traumatic Growth

10. Being More Comfortable Around Certain People Than Others.

Anxious Behaviors Being More Comfortable Around

Growing up in an environment where adults are not always safe and trustworthy causes many to feel uneasy around new people. Trauma survivors have a heightened sense of who they feel comfortable or โ€œsafeโ€ with.

Want to know more about Post-trauma Anxiety and anxious trauma responses? Check this video out below about post-traumatic stress disorder!

References:

Tull, Matthew, 2020. The Relationship Between PTSD and Social Anxiety Disorder. https://www.verywellmind.com/ptsd-and-social-anxiety-disorder-2797528. Accessed 5/11/2022.

Ginny Jones. How adverse childhood experiences influence eating disorders. 2021. https://www.pacesconnection.com/blog/how-adverse-childhood-experiences-โ€ฆ. Accessed 5/14/2022.

Written By Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
Originally Appeared On Psychology Today
Anxious Behaviors That Could Actually Be Trauma Responses pinx
Anxious Behaviors That Could Actually Be Trauma Responses pin
post-trauma anxiety

— Share —

— About the Author —

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Up Next

30 Journal Prompts for Anxiety When Youโ€™re Feeling Suffocated by Family Tension

When family tension feels overwhelming, turning to a few journal prompts for anxiety can be a comforting and grounding practice. These 30 prompts can help you navigate and soothe those anxious moments.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

If you are reading this, you know EXACTLY what it feels like when family tension starts to weigh down on you. Itโ€™s like

Up Next

5-4-3-2-1 Coping Technique for Anxiety: A Great Method to Calm Your Anxiety

If you are looking for a simple but effective coping technique for anxiety, look no further: the 54321 anxiety technique is your answer!

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

This technique is one of the easiest relaxation methods you can learn. So, whether youโ€™re feeling overwhelmed or facing a stressful situation it will help you stay grounded in the present moment by usin

Up Next

Music Therapy: How To Use Music For Emotional Healing?

Do you ever notice how your favorite song instantly lifts your spirits when it comes on? Or how it can calm your mind at the end of a stressful day? Well, thatโ€™s the power of music. It is not just some words and sounds, itโ€™s a powerful tool that can also heal us. So, let us explore ways in which we can use music for emotional healing.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Up Next

Is Your Depression Causing Anger? 4 Crucial Reasons to Address It

Do you find yourself caught in an emotional tug-of-war? Is your depression causing anger? If every little frustration feels like it could explode into rage and snapping at loved ones for no reason has become a common habit, learn the ways to help yourself with depression and anger.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

As an effect of depression, anger is quite common because

Up Next

7 Proven Ways To Process And Heal From Collective Trauma

Facing trauma not only as an individual but as a part of a community is real. It can happen for multiple reasons but grave societal issues are the primary ones.

Hence, sometimes this trauma can be inherited from the family as well. This is a shared collective trauma that elderly family members may pass on to their children and it continues.

Suppose your grandparents faced tremendous trauma for a particular type of social issue that may happen frequently but does not become a grave matter always. Hence, this fear of loss may pass to your parents and come to you.

So, now you have trauma for this particular type of social issue, and whenever you see it is going to happen you become extremely traumatized and anxious. Therefore, sometimes you may be a part of c

Up Next

Depression Without Suicidal Thoughts: 8 Signs That You Have Been Ignoring

Have you ever felt like you are going through the motions of daily life but not really feeling present or engaged? Many people experience depression without the extreme of suicidal thoughts, and itโ€™s often overlooked or misunderstood.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Most of the time depression is associated with visible signs of sadness. However, sometimes it does app

Up Next

Anxiety Attack vs Panic Attack: How They Differ and Why It Matters?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by sudden intense fear? Well, itโ€™s important to understand the difference between an anxiety attack vs panic attack. Because whatever you are feeling is serious for your health and you need proper medical attention.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

In modern lifeโ€™s fast-paced rhythm, intense emotional overwhelm can strike unexpectedly. Whi