Types of Trauma Bonds
A trauma bond is a term you may have heard of before or have experience with but aren’t quite sure of the details that surround the concept. While no one wants to end up in this situation or to deal with trauma bonds, it does happen and occur and should be addressed so that the person or people involved can get help and heal and recover.
Continue reading to get a better idea of what a trauma bond is, the different types of trauma bonds, and how these happen. The more you know and the more informed you are about this idea the more likely it is that you or someone you love will be able to identify there’s a problem and get the help needed.
What Is A Trauma Bond?
In the simplest of terms, trauma bonding is a psychological response to abuse. You will see it occur when the person being abused begins to form an unhealthy and damaging relationship with the abuser. It may begin to happen so much that a cycle of abuse takes place and the person who is being abused starts to accept the situation for what it is and may even feel remorse, sympathy, and even affection for the abuser. However, you should know that not every person who is abused will develop a trauma bond and each experience is unique and different. The trauma bond can happen fairly quickly within days or weeks or take more time such as over the course of several months.
The Different Trauma Bond Types
There are different types of trauma bonds to be aware of and consider if you believe you or someone you know is in this circumstance and needs help.
Abandonment
Feeling unsafe due to a threatening situation such as abuse can cause trauma. There may be some level or degree of abandonment fear, which is normal. A child may also experience what’s known as abandonment or neglect trauma when certain needs from a caregiver aren’t met early on, for instance.
Fawning
Another type of trauma bond is fawning. In this case, the fawn response involves immediately moving to try to please a person to avoid any conflict. You may know that the person is hurting you and will do anything to appease them to lessen the chances of escalating the situation. It is sometimes and often associated with codependency.
Emotional Neglect
Emotional neglect brings about many confusing and uneasy feelings. There may be a problem figuring out how you feel or who you are because you have no sense of belonging or are lacking someone else modeling appropriate behavior. It may occur in a relationship where the person feels that their needs are continuously ignored, disregarded, and invalidated by their partner.
Control
There might also be a power imbalance in the relationship that causes a trauma bond such as control. The other person might begin to control you so much that you have no idea how to break free. The abusive cycle becomes familiar to you and even if you do leave you might come back because it’s familiar to you and feels comforting in some way.
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm syndrome is another type of trauma bond you should know about. The dynamic can occur when someone is held captive against their will or simply within a relationship. In a relationship, the person experiencing the trauma may start to rationalize the behavior of the abuser and even develop positive feelings toward the person.
How These Happen or Occur
Another point to touch on is diving deeper into the idea of when trauma bonding can happen or occur. Generally speaking, these different types of trauma bonding can unfold when there’s a situation in which a person is exploiting or abusing another. For instance, when referring to a variety of types of abuses or abusers such as child abuse, domestic abuse, and elder abuse, to name a few. You may also see it develop within cults, with human trafficking, or in a kidnapping or hostage situation.
Overall, trauma bonds happen because there’s an unhealthy attachment going on. Your main source of support and comfort may be coming from an abuser and soon a trauma bond will likely occur. You might also be dependent on the abuser because they are someone who fulfills emotional needs. There might also be a cycle of abuse and a pattern of being abused and then a stage of remorse before it starts all over again.
Conclusion
You should now have a better understanding of what a trauma bond is, the different types, and how these happen. No matter how bad it gets for you or someone you love you must know that there’s always help available. One must first recognize the signs of trauma bonds and then work to break the trauma bond by practicing self-care, having a safety plan, and seeking professional help.
Reach Out to Peaks Recovery Today
If you (or someone you know) are suffering from a mental health disorder such as trauma, then get help from Peaks Recovery. We offer both inpatient and outpatient services designed to let you restore your life to normality and build the future that you deserve.
Don’t wait. Get in touch with us today.
