Trauma to PTSD

 
Trauma to PTSD

Posted by Orlando Therapy Project

Jennifer Sigman  LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in anxiety and marriage counseling. Jennifer utilizes mindfulness practices to help her clients better understand and improve themselves and their relationships. For more information about Trauma and PTSD contact Jennifer Sigman, MS, LMFT at www.OrlandoTherapyProject.com, Sigmantherapy@aol.com or telephone 407-415-9017. 

Trauma to PTSD

As a matter of course, people are exposed to traumatic events throughout their life. Sometimes the trauma is small, such as experiencing stage fright in your 3^rd grade school play or being stung by a bee and sometimes it’s big, such as a vehicular accident, a physical assault or a natural disaster like a flood, hurricane or tornado. 

Trauma may cause physical and emotional symptoms such as sleep problems, feeling detached or numb, digestive issues, concentration disturbance, unexplained loss of energy, agitation, isolation and a heightened startle response - to name a few.  People may lose interest in things they use to enjoy and have trouble giving or receiving affection. Things that remind the person of the trauma (places, smells, songs, people, sounds, colors, etc.) may be temporarily distressing and can lead to avoidant behavior of certain people, places or situations.

Most traumas, while temporarily unsettling are processed to the point of “full resolution.” This mean what when the person thinks about the traumatic event, they recall it without much or any emotional agitation. However, there are times when a traumatic event is so overwhelming to the emotions that it can prevent an individual from fully processing the experience. Recalling the memory can feel like re-living the moment, according to Dr. Francine Shapiro developer of a trauma resolution therapy (used for PTSD) called EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can develop following a traumatic event. The event that triggers PTSD may be something that threatened a person’s life or the life of someone close to him/ her. People with PTSD often report symptoms right away but occasionally, symptoms are delayed. Most people report persistent frightening thoughts and memories, of their experience. They re-live the trauma through intrusive thoughts in the form of nightmares or daytime recollections called flashbacks. A flashback can come in the form of images, sounds, smells or feelings. During a flashback, a person may lose touch with reality and feel as though the traumatic event is happening in the present.

PTSD affects over 5.2 million adult Americans. It can occur at any age. This disorder is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, anger and anxiety disorders. If not treated it can be the underlying cause of failed relationships, diminution of life happiness and successes and ultimately,  PTSD can lend itself to a sharp decline in physical health through the mind-body connection.

Not every traumatized person gets full blown PTSD. While it’s normal to experience some acute stress reactions after a traumatic event such as: nausea, rapid heart rate, poor memory and concentration,  fear and anticipation, if these symptoms last more than a month a person should seek professional help by a clinician trained in trauma resolution. Even immediately after a traumatizing event a trained trauma clinician can help to lower the immediate trauma response through targeted psychotherapies such as Cognitive Restructuring, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Guided Imagery, Mindfulness and breath work as well as psycho-education about the physiology of trauma,. Don’t wait if you or someone you love has been exposed to a recent trauma, seek help early. You can find a trained trauma clinician through the “Therapist Locator” on www.EMDR.com.