First, it’s important to understand in these simple terms that trauma is anything that is experienced by an individual that feels overwhelming or threatening to one’s environment. (i.e. car accident, fire, family abuse, etc.) Sometimes there is “little t” trauma that impacts a person’s life over many years of small occurrences. (i.e. instability of finances, housing, or food growing up.) Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the prolonged effects from trauma that impairs mental and emotional functioning on a daily basis for the individual. Since PTSD often requires additional services beyond a weekly visit in my office, I want to focus on trauma.
It’s important to understand that trauma is no less significant of a harm than PTSD, it simply precedes the compounded impairment. Also, trauma is not a cognitive ability to control, it is factored by elements beyond control, and how the body viscerally responds to the situation. In fact, the brain is so complex and intricate, the response to trauma is not weakness, but an act of survival. Watch a video of me talking more about this here.
Second, more often than not, new clients deal with something stressful or triggering from past wounds. A trigger is literally anything that holds a reminder, conscious or subconscious, for a person’s experienced trauma. This can be a certain part of town, fragrance, sound, picture, or a person unrelated to the event. Adult trauma wounds can symptomize as intrusive thoughts, high anxiety, withdrawal, depression, panic, and of course: fight, flight, or freeze. Watch a video of me describing how I counseled someone with trauma here.
Last, there is real hope that no one has to be stuck (although it may feel like it at times). There is a way to deal with the crippling symptoms of past wounds. The scary part of the journey is allowing oneself to reface those traumatic memories, in order to care well for how it was experienced. The good news is one doesn’t heal from trauma alone – it is in the safety and care of another. Often this is done through the caring work of a counselor or support group. The reasons that these settings are so healing is because of the immediate access to safe and supportive others that one can rely on. Trauma is the sense of aloneness – and thus, the repairing of trauma is in need of healthy connection – in the holistic self and with others.
If someone you know struggles from trauma/PTSD, I encourage you to be aware of the symptoms and have patience with their struggles. It may not make sense to you. However, that person needs to be actively pursuing mental health care. If you are struggling with symptoms or triggered memories from trauma, I encourage you to be patient with yourself and seek professional care to aid restoration in your emotional health. I have done this in my own life and I believe you can too.
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