##### Symptoms of Unresolved Trauma > [!NOTE] If this page is triggering: [[⭐️ Safety Tools and Resources]] Basically all psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses can be directly linked to [[💡 Trauma|trauma]] and related (even unconscious) memories — though *that does not mean we definitely have trauma if we experience them*. It *might be* trauma. Through a [[💡 Somatic Experiencing|Somatic Experiencing]] lens, these symptoms are trapped energies trying to resolve themselves. Symptoms can be psychological or somatic. Some are persistent, some come and go, some fluctuate with [[💡 Stress|stress]], some change over time as trauma switches expressing itself as one symptom to another, and some surface years after the event. They usually come in groups and become increasingly complex over time, becoming disconnected with the causing event. Any symptom can arise regardless of the event, likely because of genetic predispositions. - [[🔑 Parts can use our minds and bodies to get or distract our attention|🔑 Symptoms are signal flairs from our parts]] - [[🔑 Polarized parts can use the body as a battleground]] - [[🔑 Not all symptoms, conditions, and diagnoses are related to parts|🔑 Not all symptoms are related to parts]] - [[🔑 Our symptoms and illnesses are never our fault]] - [[🔑 Trauma can heal somatically]] ###### Psychological [[Symptoms of Unresolved Trauma]] If we have [[💡 Exiles|exiles]], we likely have at least a few symptoms. Mental health professionals look at our symptoms as a kind of constellation to make a diagnoses ([[🔑 psychiatric diagnoses are almost useless]]). - Chronic [[💡 Emotional Dysregulation|emotional dysregulation]] - Flashbacks or [[💡 Emotional Flashback|Emotional Flashbacks]] - Difficulty with [[⭐️ Sleep]] - [[💡 Restless Legs Syndrome]] - [[💡 Insomnia]] - [[💡 Nightmares]] - [[🔑 Exiles have a Drive For Redemption|💡 Traumatic Reenactment]] - [[Body Dysmorphia]] - Loss of sustaining beliefs (spiritual, religious, interpersonal) - [[💡 Decision Fatigue]], inability to make commitments or plans - Shifts in perception of our abuser(s), feeling as if they are all-powerful or all-knowing, revenge fantasies - [[🛡️ Emotional Suppression]] - [[⭐️ Relationships|Relationship]] issues - Chronic loneliness / isolation - Avoiding relationships - Reactivity, irritability, mood swings, anger, aggression, fear - Fear and confusion about close relationships or [[💡 Romantic Relationships]] - Difficulty being alone - Difficulty being or feeling close - Difficulty making or keeping friends - Difficulty with boundaries - Frequent interpersonal conflict - Emotional outbursts, explosiveness, and reactivity - [[🛡️ People-Pleasing]] - Obsessive desire to be chosen by others without any awareness of how you feel about them. - Inability to [[💡 Attachment Theory|Attach]] - Sexual difficulties - Chronic passivity - Low motivation - Difficulty finding or holding a job - Neurological issues - Hallucinations: visual, auditory, sensory, olfactory ###### Somatic [[Symptoms of Unresolved Trauma]] - Illness, [[💡 Chronic Illness]] - [[🛡️ Self-Harm]] - [[🛡️ Addiction or Dependency]] or substance dependency - [[💡 Fatigue]] - [[🛡️ Emotional Armoring]] - [[💡 Restless Legs Syndrome]] - Headaches, Migraines - Neck/back problems - Severe PMS - Hives, Rashes - [[💡 Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction TMJ]] - Cardiac issues - Tension - Pressure - Congestion - Achiness - Stiffness - Tinging - Numbing - Paralysis - Heat - Pain - [[Tinnitus]] ###### Protector Behaviors ![[Protector Strategies 🛡️#Common Protector Strategies]] ![[Protector Strategies 🛡️#Extreme Protector Strategies]] ###### See also - [[Medical Conditions and Diagnoses]] - [[🦮 How to connect with Parts through Symptoms]]