Annotated Bibliography

Everyone has experienced a traumatic experience, whether that's abuse or having a loved

one pass away. People go through these experiences not realizing that they affect future

relationships and are unsure of how to deal with the trauma and this can be harmful not only to

the victim but to their partners in life as well. When people think of trauma they tend to only

think about things like sexual or physical abuse but the reality is that these are only a couple of

types of trauma. Trauma is a very broad term and is used to describe a lot of things like bullying

or even being in a car accident so it's important, to be honest with ourselves to find out if we are

suffering from trauma. There is a difference between addressing our trauma and knowing how to

deal with it to improve not only romantic relationships but relationships in general. The question

is, how does trauma affect romantic relationships? This question is important because it helps

victims and their partners know why a person is acting a certain way. Going through a traumatic

experience can explain behaviors but it doesn’t excuse them. If we take a step back and look at

our actions or how we view certain things we can potentially get to the bottom of those actions

which tend to come from some type of trauma.

Babbel, S. (2019, February 27). Why You Might Have Intimacy Issues After Trauma. Retrieved

January 05, 2021, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/somatic-

psychology/201902/why-you-might-have-intimacy-issues-after-trauma

The author addresses why people who have suffered from trauma may have issues with

intimacy but the author makes it clear that any type of trauma can cause this issue and for some,

they have no issues with intimacy. The author states that if our body doesn’t finish the cycle of

survival mode and go back to our normal nervous symptoms, that's when physical and emotional

intimacy can become an issue. This can be dangerous to a relationship because a person may go
through a traumatic event and no longer like touch and be led to believe that they no longer love

someone but the reality is that they just haven’t gotten back to their normal nervous system.

According to the author when our body goes into fight or flight mode our bodies release stress

hormones like cortisone and one of the side effects of this is an increase in feeling disconnected.

Because of this hormone, people may never get to a point where they are relaxed enough to be

intimate with their partner. “You can start counteracting those disconnecting stress hormones

with the bonding hormone called oxytocin. You can practice simple relaxing exercises to feel

more connected and to discover loving feelings again.” The author states that by finding the

positives in life you can discover emotions again that can help a relationship. According to the

author, another thing that can affect intimacy is when a survivor is trying to avoid any emotional

connection with your partner or with yourself which can lead to depression. When someone can

be in touch with their feelings it becomes easier for them to be intimate again.

The article is written from the viewpoint of a therapist who specializes in trauma but has

also worked with couples that had issues because of traumatic events. The article has ethos

because of the author but it also has logos because it would make sense that when we become

disconnected from people due to trauma one of the first things to change is how we view touch

and that we no longer want to let our guard down allow vulnerability and a deep connection. This

fits the debate because I’m asking how trauma affects relationships and how intimate a couple is

can be crucial to the survival of the relationship. The audience of this article would be people

who are dealing with intimacy issues but also those that want to learn how certain events can

change a person. This source is credible and I agree with the contents of it and I believe that it

makes sense of how intimacy can be affected.

Brandt, A. (2017, August 01). 4 Ways a Traumatic Childhood Affects Adult Relationships.

Retrieved November 20, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mindful-

anger/201708/4-ways-traumatic-childhood-affects-adult-relationships.

This article discusses the different types of attachment styles that emotional childhood

trauma can cause for some. The author describes how a parent treated their children can cause a

form of unhealthy attachments. It also shows that it's important to know what attachment style

the survivor has so both parties and communicate properly and understand different behaviors.

Trust issues can develop at a young age either from a parent relationship or from a romantic

relationship “When the person who is supposed to love and care for you is the person who hurts

you, it makes sense that you could grow up to fear both intimacy and being alone.” When a

person has gone through consistent neglect they develop a style where they don’t trust others and

oftentimes shut down emotionally and struggle to show affection.

This article was written from the viewpoint of a marriage and family therapist, showing

some of the psychological effects of childhood trauma. The author shows the viewpoint of the

survivor of trauma and how they will act when in a relationship. This information helps support

my claims and my point of view.This author helps develop the idea that trauma does change how

people view relationships and being affectionate towards others. This article has the rhetorical

aspect of ethos because the author has experience in dealing with victims of trauma and helping

people fix their relationships. The audience of this article would-be victims and their partners,

both parties need to understand the attachment styles present in their relationship and how to deal

with them. My source is credible to not only my specific question but to dealing with a form of

trauma.
Brickel, R. (2020, October 01). Loving a Trauma Survivor: Trauma's Impact on Relationships.
Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://brickelandassociates.com/trauma-survivor-
relationships/

The author goes into depth about how a person with trauma might interact in a

relationship but it shows how the trauma will affect the relationship such as the survivor

believing their partner is constantly against them and doesn't care. When trauma survivors have

been in a situation for a long time they start to believe what they are being told “Survivors often

believe deep down that no one can be trusted, that intimacy is dangerous, and for them, a real

loving attachment is an impossible dream.” When a person experiences sexual trauma they start

to believe any form of intimacy is dangerous. When a person has been in a toxic relationship

they start to depend on their partner and believe no one else will ever love them. The author also

advises on how to communicate from both sides of the relationship and the author also speaks on

why people need to get them with trauma.

The author of this article is a family and marriage therapist so that helps make this a

credible source through ethos since she has the experience and knowledge to share these effects.

The viewpoint of this article is from a partner in a relationship because the author describes what

signs and actions will be present from the trauma survivor. The author helps guide people on

how to act when being in a relationship where trauma was involved. The article fits into the

debate because it helps us see the effects of trauma and the impact it has on people. The audience

the author is appealing to is the partners of trauma survivors, it's important for a partner to

understand why a person is reacting to a situation or not being emotionally committed to the

relationship and still have a guard up. My source is credible because it comes from a person who

has studied these things but also seen them in action.

Dillmann, S. M. (2015, November 16). Common Therapy Approaches to Help You Heal from
Trauma. Retrieved December 08, 2020, from
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/common-therapy-approaches-to-help-you-heal-from-
trauma

The author of this article goes into detail about different types of therapy and how they

can be effective when dealing with trauma. With trauma people often view it as an issue that

needs to be solved and when it's not solved people think something is wrong with them. The

author states, “the purpose of all trauma focused therapy is to integrate the traumatic event into

your life, not subtract it.” The point of dealing with trauma and learning how to cope isn’t to get

rid of the trauma but to learn how to go through life without it affecting you as much. The author

shows that learning how to deal with trauma is a long process and somethings don’t work for

everyone so when one type of therapy doesn’t work a person shouldn’t be discouraged but find

another healthy way to heal. The author speaks on therapy starting with pharmacotherapy and

even touching on hypnotherapy as a way to deal with trauma.

The author of this article is a psychologist which helps give this source ethos and make it

credible information. The author shows the viewpoint of the ones seeking help, she is providing

them information with therapy and how they may help a person. The author also shows the

academic viewpoint because she is a credible source and knows what forms of therapy help

clients. The audience of this author are people who have been affected by trauma and want to

learn how to cope and not let it control their lives.This source is credible to its audience and it

would be credible to others who might just know someone in therapy and want to learn how they

can help.
Greenberg, M. (2019, August 13). How Traumas Create Negative Patterns in Relationships.

Retrieved November 20, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-

mindful-self-express/201908/how-traumas-create-negative-patterns-in-relationships.

This author shows some negative effects that trauma has on relationships, it describes

how a victim reacted to trauma at the moment and also how they will react in relationships.

When some goes through trauma there are a few steps the brain goes through“Unprocessed

traumas or ongoing serious chronic stressors can cause the primitive brain networks involved in

survival and threat response to hijack your brain into a ‘fight, flight, or freeze’ state.” Depending

on what a victim did when facing trauma will have priority over the other reactions. If the victim

usually went into freeze mode, in the relationship the victim will shut down and disconnect from

their partner. This author also shows that trauma can create a bias of relationships. Past

relationships or seeing dysfunctional families can lead people to see certain actions in a bad light

and think their partner is doing something wrong.

This article again has the viewpoint from psychology but it also has the viewpoint from a

victim because it describes their actions. This shows the viewpoint of a survivor of trauma and

the mental state they are in. This fits into the question because it allows us to look at how a

victim will react when they are faced with a struggle within their relationship and how they

retaliate. Again this article has ethos because the author is a psychologist but it also helps

provide context for a person’s actions. This article is targeted more towards the victims of trauma

to understand their behaviors and why they are doing certain things. This source is credible to the

audience but also to people who just want to learn more about the effects of trauma.

Levy, T. (2016, January 14). The positive side of trauma. Retrieved January 06, 2021, from

https://www.evergreenpsychotherapycenter.com/the-positive-side-of-trauma/
 The author discusses different positives that come from dealing with trauma and how

people's lives can improve if they deal with trauma in the correct ways. “Individuals can

experience positive changes in the wake of traumatic events.” often when we think about trauma

we only think about the negatives that they cause, like the author states we usually think about

depression or substance abuse but never how it can make a person better. The author describes

that when a person goes through post-traumatic growth they grow to have a greater appreciation

for life but they also can have deep connections with others. A few of these positives that the

author states are finding hope and finding a purpose. The author states that when someone goes

through trauma everything they used to believe about the world has shattered but when they cope

with the trauma they can re-evaluate how they view the world and have hope for the future. The

author states by having that hope give the survivor motivation to continue and experience the

future. According to the author when we experience trauma it can cause a negative mindset

making us blame ourselves for whatever happened. But if people can find a meaning or purpose

behind the trauma they can be more optimistic and have better self-esteem.

The source represents the viewpoint of the people who have grown from their trauma and

cannot let it define them, which takes time. This fits into the debate because this is showing a

positive of trauma effects. If a person is more motivated and able to connect with people this can

help in a relationship. This source is a psychotherapy center and helps with treating those that

have gone through trauma and the article of this article is a doctor who goes around the world

and teaches others about trauma, because of this the source is credible and provides ethos. It also

provides logos because it seems logical that if you have gone through a horrible event but have

grown from it you will do everything in your power to let people know what they mean but also

help others from going through what you did. The audience of this article is those that want to
learn about traumatic growth whether it's someone who wants to grow or someone around them

is going through and they want to be informed.

Millán, K. (2020, October 06). Trauma and Its Effect on Relationships. Retrieved December 02,

2020, from https://www.hartgrovehospital.com/trauma-effect-relationships/

In this article, the author covers types of trauma by explaining that there are people who

may experience a traumatic event such as death but there is also complex trauma which is when

traumatic events are repeated or when new trauma is continually experienced, this is things such

as domestic violence. The author goes into detail about traumatic events that happen during

childhood to help develop an adult's attachment style. Attachment styles determine how close we

get in relationships and they can affect our communication with people. As a child, your parents

and the people around you help with knowing whom to trust and they also shape if the world is a

safe place. The author also shows that trauma that happens in adulthood can shape how we view

the world as a whole and our partners get to witness the biggest impacts of trauma. The author

also touches on how if both partners go through the trauma they may deal with it in different

ways and this could either help the relationship or harm it.

This article was written from a behavioral clinic that has spent decades helping people

with mental health and learning how to cope with the trauma. The author writes from the

viewpoint of a trauma survivor and shows how they may be impacted by trauma. This author has

an ethos to give them credibility, since the article is written by a counselor at a mental health

clinic they know how trauma impacts people. This fits into the debate because it helps show

how trauma at certain stages in life can impact our development and how we approach situations.

The author of this article is appealing to anyone who wants to learn about impacts but it also
appeals to survivors, to understand why they attach to people in a certain way. This source is

credible because there is a background to the institute that the article comes from.

Newsone, S. (2016, June 13). How Trauma Can Lead to Positive Change. Retrieved December
09, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-path-passionate-
happiness/201606/how-trauma-can-lead-positive-change

The author of this article speaks about post traumatic growth and that growing within

your trauma and coping doesn’t mean suppressing your feelings but rather letting those feelings

come through and learning what they mean. The author states, “post-traumatic growth is about

accepting the trauma as a part of who you are.” Growth has nothing to do with getting rid of the

traumatic experiences but rather learning how they are now a part of their life and has changed

who they are. The author writes this article off of information from a trauma researcher by the

name of Stephen Joseph who says that traumatic growth can lead to a positive change. The

author describes which positive changes can come about from growth and even gives a writing

exercise that can help with developing deep feelings.

The viewpoint the author provides is from a psychological perspective, because the

changes that are mentioned come from a study. The viewpoint is also from the person who went

through trauma. The study done was with people who went through experiences such as assault

victims, and even war veterans. This source fits into my debate because my question is on what

the effects of trauma is and this source explores the positive effects of trauma. The source

provides ethos which helps with the credibility of the article, the author is using a study done by

a professor and presenting the information. The audience the author is trying to appeal to is

people who have gone through experiences and wanting to learn how things can get better. This

source is credible to anyone who wants to learn about the different ways trauma can affect a

person.
Trauma Therapy: How does it work and what are the success rates? (n.d.). Retrieved January 06,

2021, from https://sbtreatment.com/program/therapies/trauma-therapy/

The author states that 70% of people will have gone through a traumatic experience and

20% will develop a mental health disorder. There are different types of therapy and the author

states trauma therapy as something that seems to be the most beneficial for those who have gone

through something traumatic. The author states that this type of therapy is directed at dealing

with the emotional consequences of trauma. The author states that they are unsure of why people

react to trauma differently but based on how they react is how we can tell if they have been

traumatized or not. Some decide to go to trauma therapy they need to come with goals and what

they hope to do in therapy, the author states that since this therapy is customized for each

individual it’s important for the therapist to know what the survivor wants to tackle. According

to the author, there have been studies done that show 77%-100% of people that went through this

type of therapy saw a reduction in their symptoms of mental health issues.

The viewpoint of this source is from a medical side and discusses how therapy can help

someone dealing with trauma. This source is from a treatment center in California which helps

give it credibility and also helps with ethos. It makes sense that if you go to regular therapy

sessions that are targeted at dealing with the emotional and physical impact of trauma it would be

helpful and lessen symptoms. I would think having a targeted therapy helps people cope quicker

rather than beating around the bush. This source fits because I also want to cover ways that

people can get help so they have all the facts rather than just being shown the negative side. The

audience of this article would be someone who wants help or if a person is trying to get help for

the people around them.

 I am learning about the effects of trauma on people’s romantic relationships but along

with this, I learned that the people around us have a huge impact on how we deal with that

trauma. From a young age, parents influence us, and then as we group up our friendships and

relationships influence us differently. With my research, I was able to identify a few different

viewpoints such as the viewpoint from the medical side but also from the viewpoint of those who

have gone through trauma and I was able to understand some of the things that they go through.

Trauma affects people differently and although we don’t know why that is, it provides us with

more information and more ways to cope with our trauma. As I dug deeper with my research I

was able to find different types of therapy and how coping with therapy can lead to traumatic

growth and from this there are a lot of positives. My sources have all come from medical

websites or some professional therapists who have spent their lives helping people and studying

how trauma affects people. These websites were able to explain in great detail how trauma hurts

relationships and how it changes a person. Something I would want to find more research on is

how trauma can affect daily life and hurt our platonic relationships such as parents and friends.