How Trauma Impacts Self-Esteem: Understanding the Connection

Traumatic experiences significantly affect our sense of self, self-worth, trust in ourselves, and trust in others. After a traumatic event, it’s common to start believing negative things about ourselves, such as taking undue blame, adopting negative beliefs, developing mistrust, and questioning our identity. It’s crucial to remember that your trauma does not define you. With time, support, and self-belief, you can reclaim your confidence and embrace your self-worth.

How Trauma Affects The Brain

Traumatic experiences can disrupt an individual’s sense of safety, predictability, and belonging, compelling them to develop adaptive survival skills to navigate unpredictable or hazardous environments. The adaptive survival skills that once served as a protective role during traumatic experiences can eventually become maladaptive and detrimental to emotional and psychological well-being. 

Trauma can trigger the brain’s fight, flight, or freeze response. During this state, the amygdala – responsible for processing emotions – links memories of the traumatic event with strong emotional reactions. The fight response occurs when individuals react to a traumatic event by physically struggling, fighting, or verbally resisting with ‘no.’ The freeze response involves feeling paralyzed by the trauma, while the flight response entails physically escaping the traumatic situation through running, hiding, or distancing oneself. Individuals who experience trauma may begin to question their reactions to the trauma.

Sometimes, in an attempt to make sense of traumatic events, survivors may start to blame themselves. They might believe they are responsible for the event or for surviving when others did not. This can lead to feelings of guilt about their actions or inactions. Guilt, blame, and shame can consequently alter one’s self-opinions and beliefs.

Understanding Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is how we value and perceive ourselves, shaped by our opinions and beliefs about who we are. High self-esteem is characterized by a positive and confident view of oneself, where individuals recognize their worth, strengths, and abilities, and approach challenges with resilience. In contrast, low self-esteem involves a negative self-perception, marked by self-doubt, excessive self-criticism, and difficulty acknowledging one’s strengths or achievements. Low self-esteem often emerges as a result of trauma, as the negative self-perceptions and emotional wounds from such experiences can deeply impact how individuals view themselves and their worth.

Trauma and Its Effects on Self-Esteem

Past trauma can significantly influence one’s self-perception which contributes to the development of low self-esteem. Traumatic experiences often ingrain negative core beliefs about oneself, such as feeling unlovable or inherently flawed. These beliefs become deeply instilled and contribute to the development of low self-esteem. Trauma survivors often struggle with profound feelings of shame, guilt, and mistrust, even though the trauma was not their fault. Feelings of shame, guilt, and mistrust can undermine self-worth and contribute to a negative self-image. Experiencing trauma can lead to a deep-seated mistrust in others. Difficulty with trust can impede the development of meaningful connections, leading to further isolation and playing a part to low self-esteem.

Path of Healing: A Therapeutic Journey from Trauma

Seeking support from a mental health professional can be a valuable ally in addressing and processing trauma, as well as understanding its impact on self-esteem. Mental health professionals can offer a safe and supportive environment where individuals can confront and process their traumatic experiences. Mental health professionals with a trauma-informed approach can design a tailored treatment plan to meet the unique needs of individuals who have experienced trauma. Trauma-informed approaches, and receiving professional help guides in recognizing how trauma impacts various facets of life, including self-esteem.

With the assistance of a professional, you can start to unravel the emotional and cognitive complexities tied to past traumas. As previously noted, trauma can lead individuals to adopt negative beliefs. With this in mind, individuals can work collaboratively to identify and reframe core beliefs rooted in past trauma. By reframing negative beliefs, individuals can cultivate a more accurate and compassionate self-view, challenging distorted thoughts and maladaptive coping strategies.

When addressing trauma, professionals emphasize the survivor’s strengths, helping individuals recognize their potential for self-compassion and renovation. The aftermath of trauma can be challenging to navigate and may require effective coping strategies. Professionals can offer practical coping mechanisms to help manage the emotional difficulties that arise during the healing process.

Trauma and self-esteem are deeply interconnected, as traumatic experiences can profoundly affect how individuals perceive themselves and their worth. The emotional turmoil from trauma often leads to negative self-beliefs, guilt, and shame, which can erode self-esteem and hinder personal growth. However, there is hope for those who have endured such experiences. By seeking professional help, individuals can gain support in processing their trauma, rebuilding their self-worth, and developing healthier self-perceptions. Therapy and counseling provide a path to healing, offering strategies to address and overcome the negative impacts of trauma, ultimately fostering a more positive and resilient sense of self.

Book an appointment with a counselor today.

Written by:

Hannah Cericola, Fellow LPC

Chicago, IL