Trauma
“The past has no power over the present moment”
- Eckhart Tolle
Do you wonder if you are crazy, damaged, abnormal, or flawed?
Well, you aren’t. You may have experienced trauma or past hurtful learning though.
Trauma is a powerful emotional response to a distressing event (war, accident, death of a loved one, abuse/neglect). Often people experiencing traumatic stress continue to have emotional and physical symptoms for many years after the event has concluded. There is a misunderstanding that trauma only results from harrowing events. We have come to learn that any distressing event that falls beyond the ability of the human brain to process can be considered traumatic (bullying, loss of a pet, breakups, rejection/betrayal).
The symptoms of TRAUMA:
Avoidance of trauma reminders
Headaches, digestive symptoms, fatigue
Racing heart, sweating, feeling jumpy
Shame, fear, sadness
Confusion, numbness
Guilt, hopelessness, irritability
Flashbacks of the traumatic event
Exaggerated startle response
Distressing dreams
Sleep disturbance
Irritability, anger, and negative emotions
Self-blame regarding the traumatic event
Common Types of Trauma
Relational Trauma: Loss of a loved one, childhood abuse, neglect, living with a narcissistic or aggressive partner or family member.
Medical Trauma: Life-changing medical diagnosis, surgery, spending a long time in the hospital, or having extensive medical procedures.
Physical Trauma: Injuries from car accidents, falls, and other events.
Natural Disasters: Experiencing events out of your control (pandemics, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc.).
Acts of violence: Being a victim of crime, rape, assault, bullying, robbery, or witnessing such acts.
Military Service: Combat or other incidents while serving in the military.
Racial Trauma: Race-based traumatic stress causing mental and emotional injury from racial bias, discrimination, racism, and hate crimes.
TREATMENT
Trauma can often take time to resolve. Finding the right perspective is a good place to start. Instead of “what’s wrong with me”, looking at “what happened to me” can help make sense of how the past might be intruding into your present. My approach to therapy pulls from treatment methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Forward-Facing Trauma Therapy. These methods can help to lower the “threat response” caused by memory or hurtful learning and lower symptoms. Putting that memory back into the past and helping you to live in the present moment, can offer relief from symptoms. Intentional living by choosing behaviors that align with your values can improve your quality of life.