November 27, 2024

People use trauma blocking as a defense mechanism when they don’t want to face painful memories or emotions connected to a traumatic event. This is a normal reaction of the mind and body to protect the person from overwhelming stress. In fact, about 60% of men and 50% of women will experience at least one trauma in their lifetime, and many will subconsciously block the emotional impact. The person may push the pain out of their mind instead of facing it head-on, often without realizing it. Feeling emotionally numb, disconnected, or detached from certain events or people is one way this can show up.

Trauma blocking may help in the short term, but it often gets in the way of long-term healing and keeps the person from fully processing and moving past their trauma. The first step to dealing with this problem and finding better ways to cope is to understand how it works.