Trauma and Resistance

Have you ever had a traumatic experience? Has resistance ever played a part in your response? Trauma refers to a psychological response where an individual uses coping mechanisms during the experience for safety and protection. However, employing a defense may lead to other behaviors arising. The ultimate goal is avoidance, but the damage can also elicit other maladaptive behaviors. These behaviors are observed as defensive strategies to detach from the situation altogether, but is that really a viable solution? Within the context of survival, adaptation is commonly the initial response to cope with emotional or physical pain.  The person may manifest thoughts or feelings as reactions in case the experience occurs again, thereby preparing themselves mentally.

The concept of “fight or flight” response is often subjective, depending on the choice the person makes during the event; the impact can linger long after the experience. For example, a child is being bullied at school by other physically intimidating kids. The child, although small in size, has built up an emotional rage where they face the bullies if physically challenged. However, the child also knows that if they get into trouble for fighting, their parents will be upset and then punish them. There is an assortment of emotions running in the child’s brain to decide on either a short-term victory for standing up for themselves or long-term regrets for being afraid of their parents’ discipline.  Afterward, the decision can lead to the child shutting down due to regret for not stepping up to the challenge or further aggression, as the child may have subconsciously enjoyed the physical confrontation. This concept is called resistance because children can either choose to harbor resentment towards their parents and then carry the emotional baggage throughout their lives or establish control by continuing with disruptive behavior whenever they feel threatened. Nonetheless, if this situation necessitates therapy in the future, there will obviously be a wealth of material to work with during the sessions. If not managed carefully, the resistance to the situation will lead to the person shutting down when discussed; therefore, the emphasis should focus on respecting the child’s decision, then processing the individual trauma. A lack of injury concern may have led to an increase in self-confidence, but the emotional impact also needs to be investigated.

Trauma and resistance are intertwined within a method of discovering a connection between the mental health effects of one or more experiences. A pattern can be traced from early childhood to adulthood, indicating issues with interpersonal relationships, job stability, and parenting skills. It is important to note that the adult receiving therapy must focus on their inner child by finding out the origin of these behaviors, developing appropriate coping mechanisms with thought patterns, and then learn how to use the trauma-informed experience to avoid resistance.