Trauma and depression are two Mental Health Conditions that have a serious and lasting impact on your physical and emotional well-being. If you experience both trauma and depression, it can be difficult to differentiate between them. There is not always a clear distinction between where one ends and the other begins, especially if they begin around the same time or stem from the same root causes.
Navigating the relationship between trauma and depression requires an in-depth knowledge of the risk factors, symptoms, and lasting physical, mental, and emotional effects of both conditions. Understanding how these Mental Health Disorders relate to and influence each other allows Licensed Clinical Psychologists and their patients to address these problems at the source and create lasting, positive change through evidence-based therapy. Learn more about both trauma and depression—and the connection they share—with this guide.
Types of Trauma Disorders
Trauma is the emotional and mental response to extremely distressful or dangerous situations. Many people primarily associate trauma with violence, such as military service or physical abuse. However, it can also stem from other experiences, such as car accidents, childhood neglect, or the sudden loss of a loved one.
There are three main types of Trauma Disorders. Acute Trauma typically stems from a singular traumatic event, such as getting in a car accident, witnessing a violent crime, or experiencing the sudden death of a loved one. Though Acute Trauma shares many symptoms with other Trauma Disorders—including hypervigilance, avoidance behaviors, and an overactive nervous system—these symptoms usually only last for a short period of time.
Chronic Trauma is a long-term Trauma Disorder that occurs when someone experiences traumatic events over a long period of time. Combat veterans, survivors of ongoing domestic abuse, or individuals with a chronic illness are all examples of people who might develop Chronic Trauma due to long-term trauma. Chronic Trauma usually results in longer lasting, more severe symptoms than Acute Trauma.
Complex Trauma deals with multiple traumatic experiences or complicated traumatic experiences. For example, someone who grew up with neglectful parents might develop Complex Trauma because the neglect they experienced was traumatic, but their relationship with their parents led to confusing and overwhelming emotions. People with Complex Trauma often experience intense feelings of guilt and shame. Without treatment, Complex Trauma can also lead to the development of Addiction Disorders, Eating Disorders, self-destructive behaviors, and other dangerous conditions.
Types of Depressive Disorders
There are also many different kinds of Depressive Disorders, including Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder.
Major Depressive Disorder is one of the most common forms of depression and one of the most common Mental Health Disorders overall. It shares symptoms with most other forms of depression. However, individuals with Major Depressive Disorder tend to experience a larger number of more severe symptoms than those with other types of Depressive Disorders. One can experience a Major Depressive Disorder episode multiple times throughout life, depending on environmental and psychological circumstances.
Persistent Depressive Disorder is a long-term form of depression. Unlike Major Depressive Disorder episodes—which often last for a limited time—Persistent Depressive Disorder lasts for at least two years.
Overlapping Symptoms Between Trauma and Depression
There are many shared symptoms between Trauma Disorders and Depressive Disorders. These include emotional symptoms such as feelings of irritability, grief, sadness and physical symptoms such as muscle tension, body aches, and headaches. Both trauma and depression can also lead to difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, loss of interest in hobbies, isolation, and a lack of motivation at work.
Trauma and Depression Share Risk Factors
One of the biggest things that tie Trauma Disorders and Depressive Disorders together is their shared risk factors. Adverse experiences such as abuse or neglect are not just traumatic; they also increase your chances of developing a Depressive Disorder. Additionally, major life changes such as the death of a loved one, divorce, losing a job, and so on can lead to both trauma and depression.
Understanding these shared risk factors is crucial to understanding both types of Mental Health Conditions. If you do not address these issues at their source, you cannot effectively treat either one.
Trauma Can Lead to Depression
In some cases, depression is a result of the way your mind and body try to adapt to traumatic experiences. Reactions to trauma, such as emotional numbness, feed into symptoms of Depressive Disorders. Trauma can also create intense feelings of guilt, grief, and sadness—which are all commonly associated with depression. These overwhelming emotional reactions have a lingering effect on your mental and emotional well-being.
Shared Comorbid Disorders
The relationship between trauma and depression is not always a direct link. It can also stem from shared comorbid Mental Health Disorders. For example, an untreated Trauma Disorder can lead to maladaptive coping techniques such as substance abuse. If someone relies on substance abuse, they may develop an Addiction Disorder. The mental, emotional, and physical symptoms of Addiction Disorder can then lead to the development of a Depressive Disorder.
Addiction Disorders are not the only comorbid Mental Health Disorders that trauma and depression have in common. Other examples include Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders, and more.
Treating Trauma Disorders and Depressive Disorders Together
If you experience Trauma Disorders, Depressive Disorders, or any of their comorbid Mental Health Disorders, you cannot treat them individually. Addressing one Mental Health Condition while neglecting the others is a short-term fix that offers no significant healing or lasting change.
The only way to effectively treat trauma and depression is to work with a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who can identify and address the root of the issue behind both Mental Health Conditions. Tackling the problem at its source treats the cause rather than the symptoms. This measure creates lasting, effective change in your mental and emotional well-being.
Tailored Treatment From Blair Wellness Group
Everybody experiences trauma and depression differently, which means everyone experiences trauma treatment and depression treatment differently. At Blair Wellness Group, we tailor your treatment plan to your needs, allowing you to work through your past experiences and current symptoms in a way that is most effective for you.
If you are looking for a Licensed Clinical Psychologist well-versed in Depression Therapy in Los Angeles, Irvine, Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Bel Air, Century City, Brentwood, Westwood, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, and the surrounding areas, contact Blair Wellness Group to see how our evidence-based treatment plans can help you.
