How TRAUMA can transform your personality

Summary

In this video, Dr. McCleary, a licensed clinical psychologist and Navy veteran, explains how trauma and PTSD can deeply impact a person’s personality. He highlights five key ways trauma affects thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, including persistent negative self-beliefs, quick reactions to perceived threats, avoidance, difficulty expressing emotions, and personality shifts. Dr. McCleary offers practical advice on distinguishing trauma-induced changes from natural personality traits and encourages viewers to seek PTSD treatment. The video is an insightful resource for veterans, service members, and their families struggling with trauma, offering valuable guidance for healing and self-awareness.

Takeaways

• 😀 Trauma can change your personality by affecting how you think, feel, and perceive the world around you.
• 😀 PTSD often leads to persistent negative thoughts about yourself, others, and the world, making you feel disconnected and distrustful.
• 😀 Individuals with PTSD may have heightened sensitivity to threats and react quickly to perceived dangers, even in non-threatening situations.
• 😀 After trauma, people may engage in avoidance behaviors, such as staying away from crowded places or situations that remind them of their trauma.
• 😀 Trauma survivors might struggle with emotional expression, either becoming overly expressive or emotionally numb.
• 😀 PTSD can cause significant changes in your identity, making you feel like a different person than before the trauma.
• 😀 Not all personality changes are caused by PTSD; some changes are part of natural life experiences, but PTSD can amplify certain behaviors and perceptions.
• 😀 To determine if changes are linked to PTSD, ask yourself if your actions are driven by fear or a genuine desire to engage.
• 😀 Seeking PTSD treatment is one of the best ways to understand whether your symptoms are due to trauma or part of your personality.
• 😀 If PTSD treatment helps improve your symptoms, it’s a strong indication that trauma has played a role in shaping your personality.

Q & A

What is the focus of Dr. McCleary's content?

Dr. McCleary's content is dedicated to educating veterans, service members, and their families about mental health, specifically focusing on the effects of trauma and PTSD.

How can trauma and PTSD affect a person's personality?

Trauma and PTSD can affect a person's personality in various ways, including persistent negative thoughts, emotional reactions, heightened sensitivity to perceived threats, avoidance behaviors, and difficulty expressing emotions.

What is one of the first ways trauma can affect personality, according to Dr. McCleary?

One of the first ways trauma can affect personality is through persistent negative thoughts about oneself, others, and the world, such as believing 'I'm no good,' 'Others are no good,' or 'The world is a terrible place.'

How can PTSD make someone more reactive?

People with PTSD can become more reactive due to heightened sensitivity to threats. They might quickly react negatively to situations that seem threatening, such as loud sounds or specific ways people talk.

What does Dr. McCleary say about avoiding situations or people due to trauma?

Trauma survivors often avoid situations, people, or conversations that remind them of the trauma. This avoidance can be a way to protect themselves from re-experiencing the trauma, even if the situation isn't inherently dangerous.

What role does avoidance play in trauma recovery?

Avoidance plays a significant role in trauma recovery as individuals often go to great lengths to avoid situations that could trigger memories or emotions linked to the trauma. While it offers temporary relief, it can also limit personal growth and healing.

How can trauma affect a person's ability to express emotions?

Trauma can make it difficult for people to access and express their emotions. Some individuals may become overly expressive, while others may shut down emotionally, struggling to understand or even feel their emotions.

What are the two tips Dr. McCleary offers to differentiate between trauma-related changes and personal preferences?

Dr. McCleary's two tips are: 1) Ask yourself if you're doing something because you want to or because you feel you have to (e.g., avoiding crowds). 2) Seek PTSD treatment to see if your perceptions of yourself and others improve as you work through the trauma.

Why is it important to get PTSD treatment when dealing with trauma-related personality changes?

Getting PTSD treatment is important because it can help clarify whether the personality changes are a result of trauma. If the changes improve with treatment, it indicates that the symptoms may be trauma-related, not just personality shifts.

What does Dr. McCleary encourage viewers to do if they found the video helpful?

Dr. McCleary encourages viewers to like the video, consider subscribing to his channel for more content on PTSD and mental health, and share the video with other veterans or their families who might benefit from the information.