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Emotional dysregulation can lead some people to experience trauma responses to non-traumatic events.

These individuals become anxious and dysregulated when required to function independently.

Codependent relationships often develop, enabling continued avoidance of daily activities.

Exposure to daily activities facilitates development of coping skills to improve functioning.

Traumatic responses to life-threatening events activate the nervous system in a unique way that focuses all attention, energy, and other resources on survival at the cost of daily function. When the threat subsides, the nervous system returns to baseline and allows for usual daily function. Some individuals respond to non-traumatic events as though they were traumatic. This results in chronic overstimulation of emergency patterns of nervous system stimulation associated with chronic neglect of daily functioning. Desensitization of trauma-level responses to non-traumatic events will result in improved daily function and a greater sense of stability.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, a traumatic event is “[e]xposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence” (APA, 2013). These are extraordinary events that are not part of daily living. For this reason, people are almost always unprepared. Under these circumstances, even well-regulated individuals can experience traumatic reactions.

The psychological impact of traumatic events depends on two factors: the intensity of the traumatic event and the individual’s ability to regulate their emotions during and after the event. Individuals with strong coping skills recover from traumatic events quickly and resume regulation of their emotions. When individuals develop symptoms of trauma in reaction to daily (non-traumatic) occurrences, it indicates that the individual has inadequate resources to regulate themselves during daily life. Some live in a constant state of dysregulation, often associated with substantial dysfunction or nonfunction.

The initial reaction to a traumatic event is often shock. The individual is overwhelmed with unexpected and life-threatening circumstances without a chance to prepare. This is a transient state of powerlessness. Well-regulated individuals develop tools to cope with trauma by restoring their sense of power and control over their destiny. This is necessary to become a survivor.

For example, the victim of an assault might take a class in self-defense or get a dog. A car accident survivor might take a defensive driving class or buy a safer vehicle. In both of these examples, the subjects of trauma add skills and strategies so that they might be prepared in the future should there be another threatening event. They cannot develop these skills and strategies if they avoid going outside.

Individuals who are traumatized or triggered by daily events will continue to experience these reactions until they develop coping strategies for daily life. Unfortunately, many of these individuals avoid daily activities rather than learning how to cope effectively. They report being “triggered” by being around other people, shopping, crowds, public and private transportation, etc. Some of these individuals can’t function to any significant extent.

Codependency in Traumatic Response

These individuals often develop codependent relationships with others and depend on them for basic functions like food shopping/preparation, transportation, and, in some situations, for hygiene and basic self-care. Rather than empowering themselves by developing strategies for regaining agency, they identify themselves as victims and remain powerless. In some circumstances, these individuals surround themselves with caretakers who provide basic functions around the clock.

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These individuals generally present themselves to others with severe anxiety symptoms, which justify their avoidance of daily functioning. These symptoms of dysregulation include severe anxiety, often with panic attacks, obsessive thought patterns and compulsive behavior (OCD), and phobic avoidance, often to the extent that it causes agoraphobia, the fear of leaving home alone.

Relatives, friends, and caretakers often feel sorry for these individuals and placate them to avoid panic symptoms or other extreme forms of distress. Unfortunately, while placating these individuals reduces their symptoms in the short term, it makes their illness worse over time. This is because serving and sympathizing with these individuals encourages them to sustain their victim identity and continue to avoid daily activities. This increases their dependence on others, which prevents them from developing healthy coping strategies.

The longer individuals avoid developing skills for coping with daily activities, the more severe their trauma-like reactions will be when they attempt daily functioning. The sooner they stop depending on others, the sooner they can develop healthy coping strategies. If they are persistent, these individuals can gain functionality and independence quickly as competence increases confidence. Helping these individuals involves encouraging them to participate in daily activities, even though they are anxious, and discouraging avoidance.

© Psychology Today