What is Trauma & PTSD?
Trauma can be experienced at any point of an individual’s life
Reviewed by Consultant Director, Lorna Wykes.
Trauma is assessed not by the event itself It is assessed by the individual’s subjective experience and causes.
Emotional or psychological trauma is the response to very distressing or disturbing even that overwhelms an individual’s ability to manage. Trauma can result in feeling helpless, isolated, and confused, it may be that you are left struggling with upsetting emotions and memories that will not shift and interfere with quality of your life.Trauma can be experienced at any point in an individual’s life and can be because of an environment or event that involved a threat to your safety or wellbeing, separation loss, serious illness, bullying, abuse, and neglect. Physical symptoms can include: Insomnia, nightmares, heightened anxiety, and difficulty concentrating. Trauma is assessed not by the event itself but by the individual’s subjective experience and causes and symptoms vary person to person.
Types of Trauma & PTSD
Trauma can be broken down into 3 different types
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Also known as PTSD
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that is caused when a person has been exposed to a disturbing or traumatic event. The onset of PTSD can be experienced immediately after the event or sometimes months or years later. It can affect those who have been involved or witnessed the event, or those who attend to these events because of their profession such as emergency workers, law enforcement and military personnel.
Complex Trauma
Also known as CPTSD
Complex trauma is caused by repetitive events in a person’s life often because of being exposed to environments where they have been subject to abuse, bullying or violence. There are a wide range of effects of this kind of exposure and CPTSD can be caused both in childhood and adult life.
Developmental Trauma
Also known as DTD
This disorder is formed during the early years of a child’s life because of abuse and neglect. It often can result in interference with the child’s neurological and cognitive development. Later in life can result in the child struggling to form attachments and leave them with lasting psychological harm.
Causes of trauma & PTSD
What causes Trauma & PTSD?
The following are experiences that could cause Trauma
- Abuse and neglect
- Traumatic childbirth
- A car accident or life-threatening event
- Any event in which you feared for your safety
- Violence
- Serious illness
- Extreme violence or war
- Sexual assault and rape
- Loss and separation
- Surviving a natural disaster
Symptoms of trauma & PTSD
General symptoms, avoidance symptoms & hyper-arousal symptoms
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms we can advise you on the best route forward
General Symptoms
- Frequent thoughts or memories about the event
- Recurring nightmares
- Insomnia
- Reliving the experience or flashbacks
- Overwhelming feelings of distress related to the event
- Psychical symptoms: Increased heart rate, shaking or sweating
- Pain and tension
Avoidance Symptoms
- You try to avoid thinking, feeling, or talking about the traumatic event
- Try to avoid people or places that are a reminder
- A loss of interest in key areas of your life
- Distancing yourself from others
- Fear of dying early
- Finding it difficult to feel positive
Hyper-Arousal Symptoms
- Sleep difficulties
- Irritable or angry
- Concentration difficulties
- Easily startled or jumpy
- A feeling of needing to be on guard for danger
Treatment For Trauma & PTSD in Buckinghamshire
Know & Understand The Treatment Options Available To You
Psychotherapy
Looking at the causes and understanding trauma responses
This therapy will assist in looking at the causes of trauma and understanding trauma responses. It may include looking at history and development as well as exploring the impact the trauma has had, this process can allow the client to increase their awareness and ability to manage thoughts, emotions and beliefs that are connected with the trauma in their life.
Exposure Therapy
A safe setting to gradually face fear of the trauma
This is a type of behaviour therapy that enables the client to gradually face fear or trauma in a safe setting. The process of exposure has been found to reduce anxiety and depression by reconditioning the physical and emotional responses.
Trauma Focused CBT
Managing thoughts & emotions around the trauma
CBT works with the client to manage thoughts and emotions around the trauma, to increase their awareness and ability to manage the symptoms of trauma or PTSD. This therapy will help clients come to terms with the traumatic experience and involves looking at stress management.
A comprehensive programmme for treating trauma
DBT is a more comprehensive programme which includes talking therapy and skills training either one to one or in a group. Many of our DBT clients have experienced trauma in their life and have found DBT to be effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and unhelpful coping strategies. By beginning the healing process, while having one to one therapy which is overlapped with building skills to manage anxiety, painful emotions, and relationships.
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