Every person will experience trauma in their lifetime. Fortunately, many people can recover from trauma over time with the love and support of family and friends and bounce back with resiliency. For others, they may discover the effects of trauma continue leaving them with deep emotional pain, fear, confusion, or posttraumatic stress after the event has passed.
When distress from trauma persists, the support, guidance, and assistance of a therapist is a wonderful resource when healing from trauma.
Trauma Symptoms
According to the four types of symptoms listed in the DSM-5:
Avoidance Symptoms: Finding ways to dodge the pain
- Avoiding specific locations, sights, situations, and sounds that serve as reminders of the event
- Anxiety, depression, numbness, or guilt
Re-experiencing Symptoms: Finding ways to normalize the pain
- Intrusive thoughts, nightmares or flashbacks
Hyperarousal Symptoms: Finding ways to maintain safety now and in the future
- Anger, irritability, and hypervigilance
- Aggressive, reckless behavior, including self-harm
- Sleep disturbances
Negative Mood and Cognition Symptoms: Finding ways to check out from the pain
- Loss of interest in activities that were once considered enjoyable
- Difficulty remembering details of the distressing event
- Change in habits or behavior since the trauma
Research has shown psychotherapy to be the most effective form of treatment for trauma. Most commonly, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are used in treating trauma. We offer these modalities in addition to Trauma-Focused CBT, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT).
If you or someone you know is struggling with any of the trauma symptoms listed above, we would love to help! Contact us today for a free 30- minute consultation.