Have you experienced trauma?
What are the signs and symptoms of trauma?
What are the types of trauma?
How I Can Help You.
In simple terms, trauma is our mental and emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms our ability to cope, causes feelings of helplessness, diminishes our sense of self and our ability to feel the full range of our emotions and experiences. Traumatic events can range from something upsetting, such as being involved in an accident, having an illness or injury, losing a loved one, or going through a divorce to the far extreme experiences of rape, war, or torture. The reason for this is because we all process events differently because we all face or see them differently based upon the lens of our own prior experiences in our lives. For example, one person might be upset and fearful after going through a hurricane while someone else may have lost family and barely escaped from a flooded home during a hurricane. For this person, a minor Category One hurricane may bring up traumatic flashbacks of their terrifying experiences and losses.
Signs & Symptoms of Trauma
As noted above, because of how we all process events differently, the range of what may constitute a traumatic event ranges and as such, it almost goes without saying the range of signs and symptoms of trauma may also vary from person to person however here are the top 10 most common signs of trauma:
feelings of anxiety and fear
re-experiencing of the event, such as unwanted thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares
feeling nervous, on edge, tense or jumpy - like you have to be "on guard"
having trouble concentrating
difficulties sleeping (trouble falling or staying asleep)
avoiding people, places, or things
feeling down, sad, or hopeless
negative self-image and/or views of the world around you
difficulties trusting in others
impulsive or self-destructive behaviors
Types of Trauma Disorders:
As I mentioned when discussing anxiety, there is an approximate 950 page book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, also known as the DSM-5 for short, that provides descriptions, symptoms, and criteria for 7 different types of trauma and stress-related disorders. Of those, the following are the primary ones I see in my office:
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder - have you experienced or witnessed a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, been in war or combat, or been sexually abused or assaulted in some way? As a result of this are you now experiencing negative thoughts and feelings related to their experiences and/or feel as if you are reliving the event through flashbacks or nightmares? How about feelings of sadness, fear, or anger and a sense of detachment from others? Do you avoid situations or people that remind you of these past experiences or have strong negative reactions to things such as a loud noise or an accidental touch? If yes, and you have been experiencing this for longer than a month, you may be struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder?
Acute Stress Disorder - if you answered yes to any of the questions noted above for post-traumatic stress disorder but experienced the event and/or symptoms for less than a month, you may be struggling with Acute Stress Disorder.
Adjustment Disorder - have you recently lost a loved one or experienced some other unexpected catastrophe? Are you recently divorced or experiencing problems in your relationship? Are you experiencing changes in your life or battling an illness or other health issue or your own or a loved one's? Are you moving to a different home or a different city or are worried about money? If you answered yes to any of these and feel as if you are experiencing higher levels of stress, sadness, or feelings of hopelessness that you should be, you may be battling with adjustment disorder.
How I Can Help:
I can help you:
Learn ways to reduce the negative impact of stress and anxiety on you
Explore and heal those traumas and stressors
Learn ways to gain control over unhealthy thoughts you may be experiencing
Learn and implement calming and coping skills to use when feeling anxious, stressed, or otherwise triggered
Set goals to become the person you have always envisioned
We will develop a plan together for you to reduce your trauma symptoms. I can provide you with tools, such as guided self-dialogue, coping cards, mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, thought stopping, changing belief systems, re-framing unhealthy thoughts, and relaxation techniques. If you would like to learn various ways to take care of yourself that can also reduce your overall levels of anxiety, stress, and trauma, please contact me for a free consultation and/or to schedule an appointment.