TRAUMA RELATED CONDITIONS
“Traumatic events call into question basic human relationships.
They breach the attachments of family, friendships, love and community.
They shatter the construction of the self that is formed and sustained in relation to others.
They undermine the belief system that gives meaning to human experiences”
Judith Herman
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-traumatic stress disorder develops when a person experiences or witnesses something frightening, shocking, dangerous, or scary. Most people recover from such experiences, but some people develop short-term or ongoing symptoms such as:
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Intrusive symptoms (memories, distressing dreams, flashbacks)
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Avoidance of memories, thoughts feelings and avoidance of external reminders
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Irritability
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Reckless or self-destructive behaviour, hypervigilance
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Sleep disturbance
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Negative mood, reduced interest, feeling detached
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Memory problems
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Negative thinking
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feelings of fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame
Treatments for PTSD
Trauma-focused Psychotherapies are the most highly recommended type of treatment for PTSD. “Trauma-focused” means that the treatment focuses on the memory of the traumatic event or its meaning and talking about it to desensitize you from the trauma of the past.
Other forms of therapy may include: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and EMDR. EMDR helps people living with PTSD to process and make sense of what happened during the traumatic event.
TRAUMA RELATED CONDITIONS
Complex PTSD
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Is repetitive, often multiple and chronic
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Often starts very early in childhood
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Is a product of overwhelming stress which is caused by other people such as ongoing abuse.
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Occurs in the context of intimate and familial relationship
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Can be neglect, physical, psychological/emotional abuse or sexual abuse.
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Can have an impact on the development of self, confidence and mood.
Our aim is to create safety and trust in sessions. We work on ‘stabilisation’ to separate the trauma from the past, from where you are today.
Other forms of therapy may include: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and EMDR.
