Trauma
Let me explain
Trauma can be complex. But it doesn’t have to be. If you feel something was traumatic, it was. Trauma is a response to an event (or events) that overwhelmed a person’s ability to process it. It is normal to have after effects from trauma, and many people process those on their own, with some time. If a person continues to struggle as time passes, it may indicate a type of trauma that would benefit from treatment.
The APA says, “Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea.”
I believe it is important to highlight how different these events can be. A traumatic event may have taken place as a single event, such as a car accident. It may have taken place over years, like childhood neglect. Or it may not even be fully remembered as the person’s brain has removed it from their awareness. It may be generational trauma, as with slavery and colonization. It may be a memory from before they developed language. Any of these and a million other things warrant emotional and physical responses from from people. If a person wasn’t able to process these events fully, for whatever reason, and the symptoms continue, they can stand to benefit from help. There is no trauma too small or too great. This is a big misconception that so many people hold.
What does this look and feel like?
Nightmares, flashbacks, thoughts that are intrusive, being hypervigilant or jumpy, having things remind you of the event or trigger you to remember the event (consciously or subconsciously). People may struggle to remember the events or remember them vividly, they may feel numb, depressed, or feel guilt and shame. A person may struggle to tolerate distress in their life, feeling overwhelmed more easily than they would have otherwise. Troubles with sleep, chronic pain and headaches, too. These and the many other symptoms of trauma can be life altering. If you struggle with the after effects of trauma, I am sure you know this to be true. I wish it were not the case, and I am so sorry if you are struggling.
AND there are so many ways to work through the events. It is believed that the traumatic events couldn’t be properly processed at the time of the event. They seem stuck, and processing those events properly can allow the fight or flight response, that your body is stuck in, to complete and give you some reprieve. I promise you there is hope. I offer an amazing type of therapy called EMDR helps people so much. Ask me about it in our 15 minute free consultation.
The numbers.
70% of adults have experienced at least one traumatic event. Up to 20% of those people would meet the criteria for PTSD. Women are 2 times as likely to develop PTSD, this is in part due to the higher level of traumatic events that women under go, such as sexual assault. Whether a person experiences longer term effects can be due to many factors, are are no fault of their own. How much stress they were under at the time, their previous trauma history, the amount of stressful events throughout their life, and their current mental health functioning each play their role, to name a few. About 8% of people will struggle with PTSD during their lifetime. Treatment is highly successful. The numbers differ depending on the length and type of treatment, and depending on the length and type of trauma. 50-90% of people see a reduction or elimination of their symptoms.
What you can do.
Trauma is tricky to work on by yourself. It can lead to re-experiencing the trauma and having a mental health therapist by your side is really helpful in those times. Therapy is thought to be the preferred treatment and can be combined with medication (according to Harvard). Most therapy types work to help a person process the trauma that they couldn’t process at the time that it happened. I typically utilize EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), but at times will use other processing as well. Before this processing takes place we will work to build up your resources or help you build skills to tolerate more distress. You can work on these resources, on you own.
You can also browse on youtube or google to find more ways to learn to calm your body or build mental health resources. If you find a particular exercise (breathing or meditation or otherwise) to not feel right, stop. Reach out to a therapist and move forward carefully and gently. At times certain people find breathing exercises to cause anxiety. And some find meditation to leave too much “room” for thoughts to come in. Listen to your body and reach out if I can help or if you need a referral.
- Breathing exercises to calm your nervous system
- Guided meditations to learn to find calm
- Build your support system
- Take good care of yourself
- Grounding exercises to experience "here and now"
- Talk to a therapist, like me, to see what your options are.
You are not alone
Trauma can leave people feeling very alone, it often comes with shame and guilt. People feel they shouldn’t feel the way they do. They feel their trauma was too small. They feel to blame, guilty in what happened, as if it was their fault. Often people think they could have or should have, done something different. I am so sorry if those thoughts are on repeat in your mind. I have heard it many many many times. You aren’t alone in these thoughts, and we can change those thoughts. Really and truly. We can give you a break from reliving the events when you smell a smell, or hear a noise. You deserve to be free from it.
Send me a message, or an email or leave me a voicemail. I am an open book and always do a free first consult. Maybe we will work together, or maybe I’ll have a really good referral for you. Or maybe you just want to know more about trauma treatment or EMDR. I have 16 years of experience in working with people with trauma. I have highly specific training for trauma work and am confident that you can get start to feel better. I work only with women, knowing intimately the traumas we endure, and knowing there is reprieve. I would love to help and support you.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This website does not provide medical advice. The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other materials contained on the website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical / mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advise of a medical or mental health professional with any questions you may have regarding a mental health / medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional mental health advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.