5 Signs Trauma Is Still Affecting You (Even If You Think You’ve Moved On)Introduction

People often imagine trauma as something that only belongs to the past. “That’s over now,” we tell ourselves, as though time alone can heal wounds. But trauma doesn’t always stay neatly in the past. It lingers, sometimes quietly, sometimes loudly, shaping how we think, feel, and relate to the world.

As a counsellor, who works with trauma every day and as someone with lived experience of  it, I know that the signs are not always obvious. In fact, many people don’t even realise that what they’re struggling with is trauma.

1. Everyday Triggers That Don’t Make Sense

Have you ever found yourself reacting strongly to something small: a smell, a tone of voice, even a song, and wondered why? That’s what we call a trigger. In clinical terms, it’s when something in the present reminds your nervous system of a past trauma.

But here’s the problem: in everyday language, “triggered” is often used flippantly to mean “annoyed” or “offended.” But for people with trauma, it’s not about irritation, it’s about being pulled back into a state of fear, panic, or overwhelm that feels just as real as the original event. If you notice these reactions in yourself, it doesn’t mean you’re “too sensitive.” It means your body and mind are still carrying survival responses.

2. Feeling Constantly On Edge

Trauma teaches the body to stay alert for danger, even when there isn’t any. This can look like:

• Trouble relaxing

• Being startled easily

• A sense of waiting for “the other shoe to drop”

Often people don’t even realise this isn’t “normal.” But your nervous system will still try to keep you safe long after the threat has passed.

3. Emotional Numbness or Detachment

For some, trauma doesn’t mean feeling too much, it means feeling too little.Shutting down emotions is a survival strategy, but over time it can make life feel flat or disconnected. Clients sometimes say, “I know I should feel sad, but I don’t feel anything at all.”This isn’t a weakness, it’s a protective mechanism that once kept you safe.

4. Difficulties in Relationships

Unresolved trauma can quietly show up in relationships:

• Struggling to trust others

• Fear of abandonment

• Closeness feeling unsafe

• Repeating painful patterns

In my work, I see how trauma shapes attachment and trust. Naming this isn’t about blame—it’s about understanding why connection feels hard, and how healing can open the door to healthier relationships.

5. Physical Symptoms With No Clear Cause

Trauma doesn’t only live in the mind, it lives in the body. Headaches, digestive problems, muscle tension, fatigue… these can sometimes be the body’s way of holding trauma. When doctors find “nothing wrong,” it can be frustrating. But often, the nervous system is still carrying the imprint of past pain. The body really does keep the score and often, it will be the body that makes you stop and get support because it can’t hold the impacts of the trauma any more so we experience increased illness or unwanted physical sensations in the body.

Why This Matters

Recognising these signs is the first step. Trauma is not a character flaw, and it’s not something you “should just get over.” When words like PTSD or triggered are tossed around lightly, it can make survivors feel invisible. In the training recently, ironically on emotional literacy, when the facilitator made light-hearted jokes about triggers, I couldn’t help but think—if they truly understood what a trauma trigger feels like, they wouldn’t be joking. For someone who is triggered, the experience is deeply real, overwhelming, and never a laughing matter. What you feel in those moments is valid, important, and deserves to be taken seriously.

Healing Is Possible

Whether through counselling, somatic therapies, EMDR, rewind therapy or gentle self-compassion, healing from trauma means teaching your mind and body that you are safe now. It's not about erasing the past. It’s about reclaiming your life. If you recognise yourself in these signs, please know: you don’t have to carry this alone. Reaching out for support can be the first step toward change.