Trauma
Many of us have experienced traumatic events, and we can define a ‘traumatic incident’ as “anything out of the ordinary range of daily events” (Post Traumatic Stress Guide, Mind). These can vary from things like emotional and physical injuries sustained in accidents or crime through to experiences of rape, abuse or harassment as an adult, or as a child (see also the ‘Abuse’ page).
Symptoms of trauma can include:
* Re-experiencing the trauma in your mind (also known as ‘flashbacks’),
* Hyper-vigilance e.g. ‘scanning’ people or places for signs of danger,
* Avoiding things that are associated with the trauma e.g. people, places, certain tv programmes,
* Overwhelming emotions, including anxiety, anger, irritability, low mood.
It is ‘normal’ to have a physical and emotional reaction to a traumatic event, and with time and understanding your reactions to the trauma, the effects diminish and it is possible to move on with life.
But sometimes the symptoms continue for much longer, and can develop into what is now been recognised within the health and medical professions as ‘Post Traumatic Stress Disorder’, where the impact of the traumatic event continues to have an overwhelming impact on our lives for many years.
When I work with people who have experienced trauma, my first step is always to hear from you and understand the particular ways in which what happened impacts on your life, and how you currently manage. I can share information on ways of helping yourself to feel safe and manage the symptoms, such as panic, anxiety, flashbacks.
Then, if you are able to talk about what happened, I can help you piece together the event(s), which can help deepen your understanding of what happened and make sense of both the traumatic event and also your reaction to this event.
Sometimes a traumatic event in our current life can trigger memories, thoughts and feelings about other events in the past, and then the feelings can feel even more overwhelming and it can help over time to talk through the events from the past. This can be difficult and takes longer to feel able to move forward.
Similarly, where the traumatic event was a long time ago, the therapy can take longer and involve helping you to understand what happened and how this has impacted on your life in the past, as well as how it continues to impact in the present.
When we can make sense of what happened and how it impacts, and learn to manage and change the effects the effects of the trauma, we can reach a place where it’s possible to feel more ready to move forward in our lives.
References
www.getselfhelp.co.uk
www.mind.org.uk
www.swcts.org.uk
www.rapecrisis.org.uk
Symptoms of trauma can include:
* Re-experiencing the trauma in your mind (also known as ‘flashbacks’),
* Hyper-vigilance e.g. ‘scanning’ people or places for signs of danger,
* Avoiding things that are associated with the trauma e.g. people, places, certain tv programmes,
* Overwhelming emotions, including anxiety, anger, irritability, low mood.
It is ‘normal’ to have a physical and emotional reaction to a traumatic event, and with time and understanding your reactions to the trauma, the effects diminish and it is possible to move on with life.
But sometimes the symptoms continue for much longer, and can develop into what is now been recognised within the health and medical professions as ‘Post Traumatic Stress Disorder’, where the impact of the traumatic event continues to have an overwhelming impact on our lives for many years.
When I work with people who have experienced trauma, my first step is always to hear from you and understand the particular ways in which what happened impacts on your life, and how you currently manage. I can share information on ways of helping yourself to feel safe and manage the symptoms, such as panic, anxiety, flashbacks.
Then, if you are able to talk about what happened, I can help you piece together the event(s), which can help deepen your understanding of what happened and make sense of both the traumatic event and also your reaction to this event.
Sometimes a traumatic event in our current life can trigger memories, thoughts and feelings about other events in the past, and then the feelings can feel even more overwhelming and it can help over time to talk through the events from the past. This can be difficult and takes longer to feel able to move forward.
Similarly, where the traumatic event was a long time ago, the therapy can take longer and involve helping you to understand what happened and how this has impacted on your life in the past, as well as how it continues to impact in the present.
When we can make sense of what happened and how it impacts, and learn to manage and change the effects the effects of the trauma, we can reach a place where it’s possible to feel more ready to move forward in our lives.
References
www.getselfhelp.co.uk
www.mind.org.uk
www.swcts.org.uk
www.rapecrisis.org.uk