Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionSignsCausesHealingTreatmentSupport
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Signs
Causes
Healing
Treatment
Support
Relationship trauma results from abusive behavior occurring between intimate partners. Thetraumacan stem fromemotional, physical, or sexual abuse endured during the relationship and produce long-lasting psychological and physical effects.
This article discusses the signs of relationship trauma and how to find treatment and support.
Kemal Yildirim / Getty Images
Defining Relationship Trauma
Post-traumatic relationship syndrome (PTRS) is not an official diagnosis in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-5), the American Psychiatric Association’s handbook for diagnosing mental health conditions. However, it is a proposed syndrome that would fit under the umbrella ofpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The concept of PTRS emerged as researchers studied individuals after the end of an abusive relationship and found symptoms similar to those observed in PTSD.
Signs of Relationship Trauma
Ending an abusive relationship is just one step in the process of healing from an unhealthy situation.
Relationship trauma can incite feelings of rage and anger toward the abusive partner. In the aftermath, the traumatized person may experience fear, guilt, shame, disgust, and sadness and find themselves re-imagining the trauma.
Signs of relationship trauma may include:
Why It Happens
According to theNational Domestic Violence Hotline, violence and abuse occur in an intimate relationship when one partner engages in behaviors to control, manipulate, or gain power over the other partner.
In addition, stressful life events, a history of trauma in the abusive partner’s life, and drug or alcohol use can escalate dangerous situations and abuse in relationships.
Abusive and harmful behaviorscause an imbalance of power and equality in a relationship. It also diminishes safety, which may create a persistent fear of experiencing abuse or extreme anxiety about abuse in other relationships.
Some ways in which an abusive partner creates unhealthy and dangerous dynamics include:
What Is Trauma Bonding?Sometimes in an abusive relationship,trauma bondingcan occur. This happens when the partner experiencing abuse feels an attachment to the abusive partner. Feelings of sympathy toward the abusive partner may lead the other to rationalize or justify their behavior, which can perpetuate the cycle of abuse.
What Is Trauma Bonding?
Sometimes in an abusive relationship,trauma bondingcan occur. This happens when the partner experiencing abuse feels an attachment to the abusive partner. Feelings of sympathy toward the abusive partner may lead the other to rationalize or justify their behavior, which can perpetuate the cycle of abuse.
How to Heal From Relationship Trauma
Relationship trauma does not develop overnight, so it’s important to keep in mind thathealing may take time.
Strategies to focus on during the healing process can include:
In the end, you are the best judge of when it feels healthy to share your history of trauma with others. While some people may want to open up early, others may choose to wait until they have a better sense of how supportive and non-judgmental a confidente might be.
This is especially true when the confidente is a potential or current partner.
There are definite benefits to sharing. It can be an opportunity to talk with your partner about your emotional needs, boundaries, communication styles, and ways to resolve conflict together. Sharing allows you to move forward in a relationship with a stronger sense of trust.
A Word From VerywellBoundary setting is a vital part of healing from relationship trauma and preparing for future healthy relationships. Because we cannot control others' behavior, boundaries are not meant for anyone to respect or obey, but for ourselves to follow. They guide and empower us to maintain our autonomy and emotional safety in relationships.—ELLE MARKMAN, PSYD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Boundary setting is a vital part of healing from relationship trauma and preparing for future healthy relationships. Because we cannot control others' behavior, boundaries are not meant for anyone to respect or obey, but for ourselves to follow. They guide and empower us to maintain our autonomy and emotional safety in relationships.—ELLE MARKMAN, PSYD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Boundary setting is a vital part of healing from relationship trauma and preparing for future healthy relationships. Because we cannot control others' behavior, boundaries are not meant for anyone to respect or obey, but for ourselves to follow. They guide and empower us to maintain our autonomy and emotional safety in relationships.
—ELLE MARKMAN, PSYD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
When to Seek Help
When signs or symptoms of trauma impact your mental, emotional, and physical well-being, your relationships, or other aspects of your life, the support of a mental health professional may be needed.
Therapycan be a safe environment for individuals to learn coping skills to manage anxiety, fear, or distress. It can also help a person work through emotions such as guilt, shame, or anger. Working with atherapist or psychologistcreates an opportunity for individuals to process their thoughts and feelings, identify healthy boundaries, and expand their support system.
A healthcare provider may recommend a consultation with apsychiatristfor further evaluation of mental health. If other symptoms or mental health conditions are present, a psychiatrist or healthcare provider may prescribeanxiolytic (anti-anxiety) drugs, antidepressants, or other medications to manage and reduce symptoms.
Additional Support
If you or your loved ones are in immediate danger,call 911.
Summary
Relationship trauma develops as a result of abusive intimate partner relationships. Relationship trauma includes PTSD-like symptoms and includes feelings of anger and fear toward the abusive partner. Though abusive relationships leave long-lasting negative effects on partners, healing is possible through self-care, support, and professional help.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Giourou E, Skokou M, Andrew SP, Alexopoulou K, Gourzis P, Jelastopulu E.Complex posttraumatic stress disorder: the need to consolidate a distinct clinical syndrome or to reevaluate features of psychiatric disorders following interpersonal trauma?World J Psychiatry.2018 Mar 22;8(1):12–9. doi:10.5498/wjp.v8.i1.12Jojo RM, Sathiyaseelan A.Posttraumatic relationship experiences in women in South India.Cogent Psychology. 2019;6(1):1703472. doi:10.1080/23311908.2019.1703472Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.Exhibit 1.3-4 DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD. In:Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2014.Tipword JM, Brown-Iannuzzi JL, Jones AC, Flores J, Badour CL.Avoidance coping partially accounts for the relationship between trauma-related shame and PTSD symptoms following interpersonal trauma.Violence Against Women.2022 Jan;28(1):107–25. doi:10.1177/1077801220988350Hughesdon KA, Ford JD, Briggs EC, Seng JS, Miller AL, Stoddard SA,Interpersonal trauma exposure and interpersonal problems in adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder.J Trauma Stress. 2021 Aug;34(4):733-43. doi:10.1002/jts.22687National Domestic Violence Hotline.Understand relationship abuse.Goodrum NM, Bernard DL, Moreland AD.Interpersonal violence, PTSD, and substance use types among women receiving substance use treatment.J Dual Diagn.2022 Jul-Sep;18(3):123–34. doi:10.1080/15504263.2022.2090649Rakovec-Felser Z.Domestic violence and abuse in intimate relationship from public health perspective.Health Psychol Res.2014 Nov 6;2(3):1821. doi:10.4081/hpr.2014.1821Mukhtar S.Public health aspects of domestic/intimate partner violence abuse and trauma (DIVAT) during COVID-19 quarantine: imbalanced power dynamic and sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse.Asia Pac J Public Health.2023 May;35(4):301–3. doi:10.1177/10105395231164439Bailey R, Dugar J, Smith SF, Porges SW.Appeasement: replacing Stockholm syndrome as a definition of a survival strategy.Eur J Psychotraumatol.2023;14(1):2161038. doi:10.1080/20008066.2022.2161038
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Giourou E, Skokou M, Andrew SP, Alexopoulou K, Gourzis P, Jelastopulu E.Complex posttraumatic stress disorder: the need to consolidate a distinct clinical syndrome or to reevaluate features of psychiatric disorders following interpersonal trauma?World J Psychiatry.2018 Mar 22;8(1):12–9. doi:10.5498/wjp.v8.i1.12Jojo RM, Sathiyaseelan A.Posttraumatic relationship experiences in women in South India.Cogent Psychology. 2019;6(1):1703472. doi:10.1080/23311908.2019.1703472Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.Exhibit 1.3-4 DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD. In:Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2014.Tipword JM, Brown-Iannuzzi JL, Jones AC, Flores J, Badour CL.Avoidance coping partially accounts for the relationship between trauma-related shame and PTSD symptoms following interpersonal trauma.Violence Against Women.2022 Jan;28(1):107–25. doi:10.1177/1077801220988350Hughesdon KA, Ford JD, Briggs EC, Seng JS, Miller AL, Stoddard SA,Interpersonal trauma exposure and interpersonal problems in adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder.J Trauma Stress. 2021 Aug;34(4):733-43. doi:10.1002/jts.22687National Domestic Violence Hotline.Understand relationship abuse.Goodrum NM, Bernard DL, Moreland AD.Interpersonal violence, PTSD, and substance use types among women receiving substance use treatment.J Dual Diagn.2022 Jul-Sep;18(3):123–34. doi:10.1080/15504263.2022.2090649Rakovec-Felser Z.Domestic violence and abuse in intimate relationship from public health perspective.Health Psychol Res.2014 Nov 6;2(3):1821. doi:10.4081/hpr.2014.1821Mukhtar S.Public health aspects of domestic/intimate partner violence abuse and trauma (DIVAT) during COVID-19 quarantine: imbalanced power dynamic and sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse.Asia Pac J Public Health.2023 May;35(4):301–3. doi:10.1177/10105395231164439Bailey R, Dugar J, Smith SF, Porges SW.Appeasement: replacing Stockholm syndrome as a definition of a survival strategy.Eur J Psychotraumatol.2023;14(1):2161038. doi:10.1080/20008066.2022.2161038
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Giourou E, Skokou M, Andrew SP, Alexopoulou K, Gourzis P, Jelastopulu E.Complex posttraumatic stress disorder: the need to consolidate a distinct clinical syndrome or to reevaluate features of psychiatric disorders following interpersonal trauma?World J Psychiatry.2018 Mar 22;8(1):12–9. doi:10.5498/wjp.v8.i1.12Jojo RM, Sathiyaseelan A.Posttraumatic relationship experiences in women in South India.Cogent Psychology. 2019;6(1):1703472. doi:10.1080/23311908.2019.1703472Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.Exhibit 1.3-4 DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD. In:Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2014.Tipword JM, Brown-Iannuzzi JL, Jones AC, Flores J, Badour CL.Avoidance coping partially accounts for the relationship between trauma-related shame and PTSD symptoms following interpersonal trauma.Violence Against Women.2022 Jan;28(1):107–25. doi:10.1177/1077801220988350Hughesdon KA, Ford JD, Briggs EC, Seng JS, Miller AL, Stoddard SA,Interpersonal trauma exposure and interpersonal problems in adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder.J Trauma Stress. 2021 Aug;34(4):733-43. doi:10.1002/jts.22687National Domestic Violence Hotline.Understand relationship abuse.Goodrum NM, Bernard DL, Moreland AD.Interpersonal violence, PTSD, and substance use types among women receiving substance use treatment.J Dual Diagn.2022 Jul-Sep;18(3):123–34. doi:10.1080/15504263.2022.2090649Rakovec-Felser Z.Domestic violence and abuse in intimate relationship from public health perspective.Health Psychol Res.2014 Nov 6;2(3):1821. doi:10.4081/hpr.2014.1821Mukhtar S.Public health aspects of domestic/intimate partner violence abuse and trauma (DIVAT) during COVID-19 quarantine: imbalanced power dynamic and sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse.Asia Pac J Public Health.2023 May;35(4):301–3. doi:10.1177/10105395231164439Bailey R, Dugar J, Smith SF, Porges SW.Appeasement: replacing Stockholm syndrome as a definition of a survival strategy.Eur J Psychotraumatol.2023;14(1):2161038. doi:10.1080/20008066.2022.2161038
Giourou E, Skokou M, Andrew SP, Alexopoulou K, Gourzis P, Jelastopulu E.Complex posttraumatic stress disorder: the need to consolidate a distinct clinical syndrome or to reevaluate features of psychiatric disorders following interpersonal trauma?World J Psychiatry.2018 Mar 22;8(1):12–9. doi:10.5498/wjp.v8.i1.12
Jojo RM, Sathiyaseelan A.Posttraumatic relationship experiences in women in South India.Cogent Psychology. 2019;6(1):1703472. doi:10.1080/23311908.2019.1703472
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.Exhibit 1.3-4 DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD. In:Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2014.
Tipword JM, Brown-Iannuzzi JL, Jones AC, Flores J, Badour CL.Avoidance coping partially accounts for the relationship between trauma-related shame and PTSD symptoms following interpersonal trauma.Violence Against Women.2022 Jan;28(1):107–25. doi:10.1177/1077801220988350
Hughesdon KA, Ford JD, Briggs EC, Seng JS, Miller AL, Stoddard SA,Interpersonal trauma exposure and interpersonal problems in adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder.J Trauma Stress. 2021 Aug;34(4):733-43. doi:10.1002/jts.22687
National Domestic Violence Hotline.Understand relationship abuse.
Goodrum NM, Bernard DL, Moreland AD.Interpersonal violence, PTSD, and substance use types among women receiving substance use treatment.J Dual Diagn.2022 Jul-Sep;18(3):123–34. doi:10.1080/15504263.2022.2090649
Rakovec-Felser Z.Domestic violence and abuse in intimate relationship from public health perspective.Health Psychol Res.2014 Nov 6;2(3):1821. doi:10.4081/hpr.2014.1821
Mukhtar S.Public health aspects of domestic/intimate partner violence abuse and trauma (DIVAT) during COVID-19 quarantine: imbalanced power dynamic and sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse.Asia Pac J Public Health.2023 May;35(4):301–3. doi:10.1177/10105395231164439
Bailey R, Dugar J, Smith SF, Porges SW.Appeasement: replacing Stockholm syndrome as a definition of a survival strategy.Eur J Psychotraumatol.2023;14(1):2161038. doi:10.1080/20008066.2022.2161038
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