What is Trauma & PTSD?
Traumatic Experiences
Situations & circumstances that can bring about a traumatic stress response include but are not limited to: • Sexual abuse or assault • Domestic Violence • Childhood physical, verbal, sexual and psychological abuse • Motor Vehicle Accidents • Military combat • Natural disasters • Frequent exposure to threatening situations such as those experienced by First Responders (EMS, police, firefighters, ER nurses & physicians) • Second-hand trauma (also known as Vicarious Trauma) – learning about or witnessing threatening or abusive events from loved ones, that causes a change in your worldview
Common Trauma Symptoms
The impact of trauma affects how people behave, think and feel about themselves. Common symptoms in traumatized individuals can include: •nightmares •flashbacks •anxiety/depression •feelings of guilt & shame •difficulty trusting & getting close to others •headaches •stomach-aches
Feeling stuck after trauma
When something traumatic happens, it seems to get locked in the nervous system with the original pictures, sounds, thoughts and feelings. Since the experience is locked there, it continues to be triggered whenever a reminder comes up. It can be the basis for a lot of discomfort and often a lot of negative emotions and thoughts that we cannot seem to control. These are really the emotions connected with the old experience(s) that are being triggered. Through trauma therapy you can heal from your experiences and change how you feel about yourself.
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur after any type of physically or psychologically stressful event in which you perceive a threat to your life. Often this event or series of events can alter or shatter the way you see the world and yourself.
Is Trauma/PTSD treatable?
Yes, the good news is that you can heal from your trauma experiences and PTSD and eliminate/ reduce your trauma symptoms through an empirically valid therapeutic modality such as EMDR Therapy.