How Does Trauma Impact Decision Making?
Unfortunately, almost everyone experiences at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Even if it happened in childhood, trauma can impact and influence your life in a variety of ways. It often affects how you see yourself, which can negatively impact your relationship, your career, and so much more.
Trauma can even impact how you process things, solve problems, and make decisions. It’s often not something you can control. Trauma can actually change the structure of your brain, influencing how you see the world and leading to difficulties with certain cognitive functions.
Let’s take a closer look at how trauma impacts decision-making, and what you can do to start feeling more in control.
Changes to the Brain
Again, trauma can directly impact the way your brain processes information and how it views the world. It particularly affects the prefrontal cortex — the area of the brain responsible for rational thinking and emotional regulation. When activity in the prefrontal cortex is reduced, you’re more likely to experience impulsive behaviors and have difficulty thinking things through to make informed decisions.
The amygdala is also often affected. This is part of the brain responsible for processing fear. When you experience trauma, it can become difficult to differentiate past and present threats. As a result, you might be in a constant state of hypervigilance, or in “fight-or-flight” mode, even when there is no present danger.
Misinterpreting Situations
When you are in a state of hypervigilance, it’s easy to misinterpret even the simplest of situations. Your decision-making foundations can be skewed, or they might be influenced by fear.
Intrusive thoughts can also make it difficult to perceive reality correctly. Things like flashbacks or negative memories can blur the lines of reality, affecting your decision-making abilities. You might also overestimate adverse outcomes due to your negative state of mind and hypervigilance; these extremes ultimately impact your decisions as well.
Avoidant Behaviors
Trauma can cause you to withdraw from anything you might view as risky, as well as any potential conflict. It’s not uncommon for trauma survivors to feel the need to isolate or keep people at arm’s length. While this is a defense mechanism people use to provide a sense of security, it’s typically unnecessary, and isolation can often make mental health conditions worse.
Some people turn to unhealthy behaviors, rather than withdrawing completely. Things like substance abuse or drinking become the norm. They’re used as a way to “escape,” but there’s no denying how much they impact the way you think and work through problems.
What Can You Do?
Your trauma doesn’t have to define you, no matter how much it has impacted your decision-making to this point. Recognizing the effect it has on your life is the first step toward getting the help you need.
Going through individual counseling can help you better understand the root of your traumatic experience. Starting at the beginning might seem complicated, but it will allow you to move forward on your healing journey without holding anything back.
Working with a mental health professional will also help you develop the skills to fight back against intrusive thoughts and live more in the present. On your own, techniques like mindfulness and meditation can help to ground you.
As you work to process trauma, your brain can gradually return to a state of balance, making it easier to make healthy decisions without letting fear choose your direction for you.
Practices like self-care, reconnecting with your sense of worth, leaning on supportive people, and reaching out for help can gently support healing from the lasting effects of trauma. If you’re ready to take that step, we’re here to help. Contact us today for more information.