Do You Have Unprocessed Trauma? Take the Self-Assessment Trauma Test
We often think of trauma as something that happens out there. Мajor accidents, wars, natural disasters... But trauma can also be quiet, invisible, and present in everyday life. Many people carry their trauma quietly through the years, without even realizing the big impact it may have on their everyday life. In the way they connect to people, the way they think and feel, and even down to the way they engage with work. Awareness is the first step, and that is what inspired me to dive into this topic today.
This post will help you understand trauma in a clear, approachable way. It will then guide you through a simple self-assessment test. Remember - this test is not a diagnosis, but a tool that can help you understand and connect patterns you might not have noticed before.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is defined as a distressing and disturbing experience that imposes a threat on a person’s life or well-being. Trauma may result from one “big” dramatic and distressing event (like an automobile accident or a natural disaster), but it can also come from ongoing situations. Life circumstances like growing up in an unpredictable home, living with chronic stress, being in unhealthy relationships, being bullied, or feeling unseen and unsupported in your everyday life can leave a long-lasting negative impact.
The American Psychological Association defines the effects of trauma as strong and ongoing emotions of fear, confusion, helplessness, or dissociation. These, and the many other possible trauma symptoms, can have long-lasting effects on the person’s attitude, mindset, emotional state, and behavior. With this in mind, it becomes obvious that trauma can have many adverse effects on one’s life and well-being.
What’s important to remember is that trauma is deeply personal. Two people can go through the same experience, and one might bounce back quickly while the other carries invisible wounds for years. In another instance, one may very deeply feel a certain experience and feel stuck in it, while another, although experiencing a “bigger” trauma, may be able to move forward from it. I already hate using the words “bigger trauma”, no matter how common they are in the general public. There is no “bigger” or “smaller” trauma, as what is defined as a traumatic event always comes from the subjective perspective of the person who has experienced it. And their subjective experience is valid and relevant.
How Trauma Affects Us
Trauma’s impact is complex and highly diverse. First of all, it affects the mind, the body, and the emotions. From there, it also affects our behavior, mindset, personality traits, relationships, and life decisions.
Being highly individual, there is no way of pinpointing and defining all of the effects of trauma. Nonetheless, we can identify some broad tendencies that are present across people who have experienced trauma, regardless of their age, sex, cultural background, or personal life circumstances.
It affects the body
Trauma, especially if lived through during childhood, can be stored in the body. As the traumatic experience is very intense, the body prioritizes survival and shuts down some of the memory-storing brain areas. So, the traumatic experience or experiences can be stored in the body in the form of:
unpleasant bodily sensations and stiffness
images or just short snippets of the experience
back problems
headaches
nausea
intense muscle tension
Very early or chronic trauma is also linked to physical conditions like fatigue, chronic pain, gastrointestinal problems, and even autoimmune disorders. I’ve written a far more extensive blog post on how trauma affects the body, so feel free to head over there to learn more about the somatic effects of trauma.
It affects the mind
On a cognitive and mental level, trauma can cause cognitive disruptions, difficulty processing the experience, and an impaired mind-body connection. The effects include:
fragmented sensory impressions (incoherent memories)
flashbacks
triggered responses
intrusive memories
nightmares
mental or physical restlessness and vigilance
Furthermore, the experience may also cause trust issues, hyperindependence, a negative mindset, hypervigilance to one’s environment, over-controlling behaviors, and unhealthy coping mechanisms like addiction. In others, it may also cause low self-esteem, feelings of helplessness, and excessive dependence on others for care and protection. My article 'How Trauma Affects the Mind' explains the cognitive effects of trauma in much more detail.
It affects emotions
Lastly, trauma also greatly impacts the emotions and one’s ability to manage and regulate their emotions. Initial trauma reactions include:
confusion
numbness
exhaustion
dissociation (feeling as if the experience is unreal)
anger, sadness, fear, or a complex combination of all
general agitation
In some cases, these emotions can become chronic and cause fatigue, apathy, nightmares, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, chronic shame, depression, avoidance, or lashing out and difficulty regulating emotional affect. To learn more, visit the final part of the trilogy on trauma effects, 'How Trauma Affects Emotions'.
Trauma whispers in everyday life
It might look like:
Always feeling on edge or bracing for something bad.
Numbing out emotionally or physically.
Avoiding certain people, places, or situations without knowing why.
Feeling drained, foggy, or disconnected from yourself.
Trouble sleeping or frequent nightmares.
Overreacting (or underreacting) to stress.
Sometimes it shows up in relationships — struggling to trust, pushing people away, or over-giving to avoid conflict. Other times, it shows up in the body — headaches, stomach pain, muscle tension, even when doctors can’t find a medical cause. You can also find it at work - overworking and burning out, or not being able to concentrate and get anything done. With this awareness, underlining the importance of trauma detection becomes unnecessary due to its obviousness.
Why a Trauma Test Can Help
Taking a trauma test isn’t about labeling yourself, giving a diagnosis, or blaming others. It’s about increasing your awareness about your unpleasant past experiences and if, and how, they might be affecting you today. With that awareness, you are then equipped to decide the best course of action for yourself and your well-being.
When you know what’s going on inside you, you can start acting in a responsive way, not a reactive one. You can also gain and use different kinds of methods, techniques, and tools that can help you cope with, manage, and thrive in your life circumstances.
This test aims to help you with the first step - noticing patterns and then deciding if it might be time to explore and work through your experiences with a mental health professional.
The Trauma Self-Assessment Test
Read each statement and mark how often it has applied to you in the past 6 months. Attribute a score from 0 to 4 to each statement. I recommend that you write your scores on a piece of paper and then add them all to get your final score.
Scoring scale:
0 – Never
1 – Rarely
2 – Sometimes
3 – Often
4 – Almost Always
The Test
I feel emotionally numb or disconnected from my feelings.
I have sudden, strong, and uncontrollable emotional reactions that surprise me.
I avoid certain places, people, or activities because they remind me of the past.
I feel a sense of emptiness or hopelessness.
I have difficulty sleeping or experience frequent nightmares.
I feel on edge, jumpy, or easily startled.
I have recurring thoughts or memories I can’t control.
I struggle to trust people, even those close to me.
I often feel ashamed, guilty, or “not good enough.”
I feel exhausted even after resting.
I find myself zoning out or “losing time” during the day.
I overreact or underreact in stressful situations.
I have unexplained physical symptoms (headaches, stomach pain, muscle tension).
I avoid thinking or talking about certain past events.
I have difficulty focusing or making decisions.
I feel disconnected from my body.
Maintaining close relationships is difficult for me.
Scoring
Add up your total score. Your result can range from 0 to 68.
0–16: Low signs of trauma. Indicates some mild situational stress symptoms that may or may not come from traumatic experiences.
17–33: Moderate signs of trauma. Some patterns seem to be affecting your well-being and point to a traumatic experience/experiences. It may be beneficial to talk to a therapist for support.
34–50: Significant signs of trauma. Your symptoms suggest unresolved trauma that affects your everyday life and your well-being. You could benefit from professional help and improve your overall life satisfaction.
51–68: Severe signs of trauma. You may be experiencing strong effects of trauma. Seeking professional support is strongly recommended and can help you manage your symptoms, improve your mental health, and develop coping strategies that will improve your life.
Disclaimer
Remember - this test is not a diagnostic tool and it doesn’t serve to create a mental health label of any kind.
The point of this test is only for self-awareness purposes, helping you define if some of your past negative experiences are still affecting you in your everyday life and general life satisfaction.
If you scored in the moderate-to-severe range, or if you notice symptoms that are affecting your daily life, I highly recommend reaching out to a licensed mental health professional. If you are in crisis, contact a suicide prevention hotline or emergency services in your area.
Ending Note
Even if some of the answers you gave on this test might be concerning for you, I reassure you not to worry. Healing from trauma is possible, and the right kind of therapeutic support can make a world of difference. It can help you work through the experiences, gain more awareness about how they might still be affecting you, and learn tools to better manage your thoughts, emotions, and actions. Furthermore, therapy can also help you feel seen, heard, understood, and supported in your healing process.
Our mission at EMDR Therapy Nashville is exactly that. Truma treatment in our facilities is adapted to the client’s needs. Our therapists skillfully combine EMDR therapy with other proven therapeutic models to create a personalized plan that provides clients with holistic care that is adapted to their individual needs.
You might need to process a single event, untangle years of complex experiences, or simply find new ways to feel safe and grounded. Our goal is not just to help you manage symptoms, but to support you in truly improving your mental health and your life. If you’re ready to explore what your healing journey could look like, get in touch. We’re here to listen and help.