Retraumatization

Battling PTSD, Source https://flickr.com, Author US Marines (PD as work product of federal govt.)

Retraumatization is defined as re-experiencing a past traumatic event as if it were occurring in the present [1A].  Retraumatization calls up and heightens the emotions and sensations of the original trauma we experienced.  We once again feel powerless and under threat.

Sources of Retraumatization

The sources of retraumatization are innumerable, and as unique as the individual. 

Potential sources, however, can include:  stress; sights, sounds, or smells similar to the original traumatic event; song lyrics evocative of the original traumatic event; movies similar to the original traumatic event; news stories similar to the original traumatic event; illness or injury (with or without hospitalization); loss of a loved one, a pet, or a meaningful possession; dysfunctional relationships; and natural disasters [1B][2A].

Exposure to someone else’s trauma (whether a family member, friend, or public figure) can be likewise detrimental [2B].

Trauma-Informed Healthcare

It is imperative that healthcare professionals recognize trauma is not limited to physical injury from falls or gunshots [3A].  Negative experiences in childhood are highly prevalent.  These can include not only childhood abuse, but parental mental illness or imprisonment.

Healthcare services can, themselves, traumatize patients through bias [3B]. 

Unintentional retraumatization in the healthcare setting may result from a lack of privacy, certain physical positions which evoke unspoken trauma, and physical touching during routine procedures [3C]. 

It is vital that patients feel respected, and safe.  Building trust is crucial for this.

Impact of Retraumatization

Retraumatization can intensify symptoms of PTSD, making it more difficult to deal with the ordinary demands of life.  Working a job, shopping for groceries, or making dinner can feel daunting.

Retraumatization frequently evokes old responses to trauma, e.g. nightmares, hypervigilance, panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and addictive behaviors [1C][4A].  These are not signs of failure.  They are signals that our original wound may require additional care [4B].

Shame

“…a wildfire can feel like an invasion and may remind the person of other times their space was invaded – a parent barging in on them unannounced, an unwanted sexual advance, or something similar.  The theme (invasion) is the same even if the content (i.e., a wildfire) is not [4C].”

Traumatic events can overwhelm our nervous system and our ability to cope.  There is no shame in this. 

Many of us though will feel shame, if we experience retraumatization, especially if the circumstances we experience as retraumatizing to others may seem trivial or do not on the surface appear directly related to our original trauma.

This does not mean the connection is irrational.  We may not have made that connection intellectually.  But on some basis our body has.

Healing from Retraumatization

Nor does retraumatization mean we are “fragile”.  Human beings are enormously resilient.  But they are complex, as well, so healing is not linear. 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one approach that has been helpful [5].  It allows the brain to process trauma (whether old or recent), so that the body need no longer react to it.  A sense of safety and control returns.

Distinguishing what is actually happening now from what happened then is critical [2C]. 

Avoiding altogether the triggers we experience as retraumatizing may be necessary.  But gradual, repeated exposure to such situations may decrease their power to evoke the past for us.

—

[1A, 1B, and 1C]  Trauma Treatment Collective, “What Is Retraumatization Anyway?” by , 10/3/22, https://traumatreatmentcollective.com/what-is-retraumatization-anyway/.

[2A, 2B, and 2C]  Psychology Today, “Retraumatization and Its Impact on Trauma Recovery” by Jamie Cannon, MS, LPC, 9/30/25, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/stress-fracture/202509/retraumatization-and-its-impact-on-trauma-recovery?msockid=05447c7cad7268a1051a6aa6ac5f6947.

[3A, 3B, and 3C]  National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, “Trauma-informed care:  recognizing and resisting retraumatization in health care” by Samara Grossman et al, 12/20/21,  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8689164/.

[4A, 4B, and 4C]  Whole Person, “What Retraumatization Is and How to Heal from It” by Dr. Denise Renye, https://www.wholepersonintegration.com/blog/2025/1/27/what-retraumatization-is-and-how-to-heal-from-it.

[5]  Cleveland Clinic, “EMDR Therapy”, 3/29/22, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22641-emdr-therapy.

FOR MORE OF MY ARTICLES ON POVERTY, POLITICS, AND MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE CHECK OUT MY BLOG A LAWYER’S PRAYERS AT:  https://alawyersprayers.com