Do Women and Men React Differently to Trauma?

Trauma doesn’t discriminate. It also doesn’t specifically seek out or affect one sex over another. It can happen to anyone at any stage of life. However, how people react and process trauma can be different. 

Men and women react to trauma differently in a variety of ways. That reaction carries over into how they cope with trauma, and those coping mechanisms often either make it easier to work through the effects of trauma or make things seem much worse. 

Let’s take a closer look at these different reactions. If you’ve experienced any kind of traumatic event, understanding typical responses and ways of coping might help you realize what you’re going through. More importantly, it can encourage you to reach out for the right kind of help. 

How Do Women React to Trauma?

Research has shown that men are actually more likely to go through traumatic experiences than women. However, women tend to have a harder time working through the effects of trauma. As a result, women are more susceptible to PTSD. 

This is largely due to the fact that women tend to re-experience whatever trauma they went through more often. Things like flashbacks and vivid dreams often make it difficult for women to move forward and get past the trauma they experienced. This can make the trauma feel very fresh, even if it happened years ago. 

So, it should come as no surprise that women who have gone through trauma are more likely to be anxious or depressed. They can often seem jumpy and are typically hypervigilant. 

Women tend to cope with trauma by adopting a “tend and befriend” approach. They feel the need to take care of those around them and to lean into their social circle of friends and family to find support. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, if no support is available, it can exacerbate the symptoms of PTSD and increase the risk of trying unhealthy coping mechanisms. 

How Do Men React to Trauma?

Men are more likely to experience trauma largely because they’re at a greater risk of things like physical assault, accidents, or experiencing different disasters. How they react and process that trauma is very different from women. The “fight or flight” response in men who have experienced trauma is often in full force. 

Societal norms come into play when it comes to how men react to trauma. It’s not uncommon for them to experience anger. However, it’s often a mask to cover up deeper emotions that might not be considered “strong” by societal standards. Under the surface, it’s not uncommon for men who have experienced trauma to feel fearful, anxious, sad, or even frustrated. 

Men tend to have a harder time accepting and processing these emotions. So, they lean into anger and cope with things by showing as much strength as they can. 

As a positive, men are more likely to take a focused and determined approach to overcoming the effects of trauma. They want to problem-solve and figure out ways to move past it. There are healthy ways to do that, of course. But, there are also unhealthy coping mechanisms that can creep in, especially for men who aren’t willing to dive deeper into their own emotions. 

What Can You Do?

Again, trauma doesn’t discriminate by gender. Whether you’re a man or a woman, the long-lasting effects of a traumatic experience can make it difficult to live your life to the fullest. You might feel tied to your trauma and unable to move forward. 

No matter who you are, therapy is often the best way to deal with a traumatic experience. A therapist can help you better understand what you went through and the emotions it’s causing. You’ll also learn healthy coping mechanisms that can help you move forward so your trauma won’t define your thoughts, feelings, and actions forever. 

Reach out to learn more about trauma therapy.