Trauma & PTSD

I’m not in control.

Any situation that threatens your sense of safety, well-being, and is beyond your control can be traumatic.

Either physical (like violence) or verbal (like intense anger, yelling, rage, threats of harm) events experienced in your life can cause emotional trauma. It might be a one-time event, or it may continue for months or years.

Sometimes trauma happens by just seeing or hearing something frightening (like children overhearing their parents yelling or witnessing violence).

Not having control over what’s happening steals your inner sense of “power.” It leaves you in a constant state feeling defenseless and weak.

I’m not safe.

A traumatic experience can shatter your whole sense of well-being and security.

It causes intense fear and helplessness, making the world around you seem like a dangerous place.

Your mind can start feeling on hyper-alert, continually scanning the surroundings looking for the next threat. It’s like you’re nervous and on edge all the time.

The distressing memories and heightened emotions (anxiety, fear, horror, anger, guilt, shame) won’t go away.

Your sense of feeling emotionally “safe” has been demolished, and the adverse effects are far-reaching.

Whether the trauma happened years ago or recently…

You can make healing changes and move forward with your life.

It’s possible to come to terms with the traumatic event and leave it in the past.

It will no longer control your emotions or your life. Recovery becomes reality.

You can overcome your fear of the traumatic memory for good.

The trauma is part of your life story – but it no longer has to define you.

You can feel empowered and embrace life with new meaning and purpose.

There is hope after trauma!

Understanding Psychological Trauma

The brain responds.

When a sudden, terrible event occurs (like a car accident) or a person is repeatedly under severe distress (like ongoing physical abuse), the brain’s natural coping mechanism is overwhelmed.

It’s like an alarm goes off in your head warning the brain to go into survival mode to protect you.

In a split second, the brain has an automatic, involuntary response to the threat and decides what the best way is to survive.

The brain protects.

The brain tells you to stay there and defend yourself, to run away and escape, or it decides that freezing is the best way to survive what’s happening (like an animal playing dead).

This is called the fight-flight-freeze response. It is not a conscious decision; it is completely out of anyone’s control.

The brain is protecting you from the threat. Because it is overloaded, it is not able to fully process what is happening in its ordinary, natural way.

The brain changes.

During the traumatic event, chemicals change in the brain. The memory of the upsetting experience essentially becomes “frozen” in the brain.

As a result, many years later you can quickly become “flooded” with negative emotions and physical reactions by anything that reminds you of the original traumatic memory.

The intense negative response is called a “trigger,” and you may not even be aware of what is happening.

Until the brain can literally “reprocess” what happened, the negative memory stays “stuck” in its original, raw form; and you will continually be triggered.

What is a normal response to trauma?

Following a negative event, it’s normal to have some strong negative emotions or to feel numb. The mind and body are in shock.

You may also feel guilty or ashamed and judge yourself harshly for what happened and how you reacted.

For many people, symptoms will run their course, and life will resume in a few weeks.

If the symptoms don’t decrease and you continue to feel worse, it’s time to reach out for help.

What are some symptoms of PTSD?

Feeling extremely “moody,” overwhelmed, nervous, or on edge are some symptoms of PTSD. You may have difficulty feeling positive emotions (like happiness, love, satisfaction).

Intense negative emotions and physical reactions come on unexpectedly anywhere. Anxiety or panic may occur while out in public places. Irritable behavior and angry outbursts may occur without provocation.

Certain events might trigger a racing heart, sweating, nausea, dizziness, headaches, chest pain, sadness, and despair.

Other symptoms can include: Feeling disconnected and detached from people, unable to trust others; having trouble sleeping, or not being able to sleep; problems with concentration and/or memory loss; reliving the negative event, called a flashback; reckless or self-destructive behavior; avoidance of anything related to the trauma (thoughts, feelings, people, places, etc.); and extreme sensitivity to loud noises (startle response), smells, or other things around you.

It’s time to overcome and reclaim your life!

Relief from trauma and PTSD is possible – to recover from the harmful effects of trauma and move on with your life.

I am certified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy for the treatment of PTSD and other trauma disorders.

EMDR is based on rigorous research and has proven to be highly effective for eliminating symptoms of trauma and other distress, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.

Today you can choose to begin a new path to become more peaceful, hopeful, and fulfilled in your life!

If you are suffering from the negative effects of trauma or PTSD, call (209) 226-5391 to schedule an appointment for a free 15-minute consultation.