Trauma or PTSD
I am looking for the linkages which sit within you that created the need for you to see risk and to catastrophise. I am going after something far greater than just your trauma. I understand you are your own individual and have different worries to others who run trauma responses. I will work on your specific triggers and sensitivities whilst building your resilience, confidence and motivation (the 3 Pillars) and providing you with the tools required to manage the uncertainties in life without having your threat response initiated through your fight, flight, freeze, submit or attach response.
Trauma generally results from an emotionally distressing or life-threatening event or incident which intrudes into your daily activities, actions, and / or behaviours. The power of these events or incidents can result in short- or long-term adverse effects on your functioning, and mental, physical, social, emotional and/or spiritual wellbeing. The way you perceive and react to these events or incidents will differ between yourself and another individual. An event may have little or no effect on an individual, but then have complex, distressing, and life changing effects on another. Ultimately we don’t focus on the traumatising event itself, - but on how the person experiences that event and the impact of this experience on them.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop following any event that makes you fear for your safety. Most people associate PTSD with sexual assault or battle-scarred soldiers—and military combat is the most common cause in men. But any event, or series of events, that overwhelms you with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness and leaves you emotionally shattered, can trigger PTSD. This may happen especially if the event feels unpredictable and uncontrollable.
PTSD can affect people who personally experience the traumatic event, those who witness the event, or those who pick up the pieces afterwards, such as emergency workers and law enforcement officers. PTSD can also result from surgery performed on children too young to fully understand what’s happening to them.
What Can Cause Trauma?
Emotional and psychological trauma - and by extension - PTSD - is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world.
Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm.
It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatised.
Emotional and psychological trauma can be caused by:
One-time events, such as an accident, injury, or a violent attack, especially if it was unexpected or happened in childhood.
Ongoing, relentless stress, such as living in a crime-ridden neighbourhood, battling a life-threatening illness, or experiencing traumatic events that occur repeatedly, such as bullying, domestic violence, or childhood neglect.
Commonly overlooked causes, such as surgery (especially in the first 3 years of life), the sudden death of someone close, the breakup of a significant relationship, or a humiliating or deeply disappointing experience, especially if someone was deliberately cruel.
For you to get maximum benefits from your Trauma / PTSD Clinical Hypnotherapy sessions, typically allow for between 4 - 6 Sessions depending on the levels of these and any underlying comorbid mental health concerns
Symptoms of Trauma or PTSD
Coping with the trauma of a natural or man-made disaster can present unique challenges, even if you weren’t directly involved in the event. In fact, while it’s highly unlikely any of us will ever be the direct victims of a terrorist attack, plane crash, or mass shooting, for example, we’re all regularly bombarded by horrific images on social media and news sources of those people who have been. Viewing these images over and over can overwhelm your nervous system and create traumatic stress.
We all react to trauma in different ways, experiencing a wide range of physical and emotional reactions. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to think, feel, or respond, so don’t judge your own reactions or those of other people. Your responses are normal reactions to abnormal events.
Emotional & psychological symptoms:
Shock, denial, or disbelief
Confusion, difficulty concentrating
Anger, irritability, mood swings
Anxiety and fear
Guilt, shame, self-blame
Withdrawing from others
Feeling sad or hopeless
Feeling disconnected or numb
Physical symptoms:
Insomnia or nightmares
Fatigue
Being startled easily
Difficulty concentrating
Racing heartbeat
Edginess and agitation
Aches and pains
Muscle tension
Perhaps it may be time for you to seek help for trauma if you’re:
Having trouble functioning at home or work
Suffering from severe fear, anxiety, or depression
Unable to form close, satisfying relationships
Experiencing terrifying memories, nightmares, or flashbacks
Avoiding more and more anything that reminds you of the trauma
Finding yourself emotionally numb and disconnected from others
Self-medicating through using alcohol or drugs to feel better
Do you have PTSD?
If you answer yes to three or more of the questions below, you may have PTSD and it’s worthwhile to get therapeutic support.
Have you witnessed or experienced a traumatic, life-threatening event?
Did this experience make you feel intensely afraid, horrified, or helpless?
Do you have trouble getting the event out of your mind?
Do you startle more easily and feel more irritable or angry than you did before the event?
Do you go out of your way to avoid activities, people, or thoughts that remind you of the event?
Do you have more trouble falling asleep or concentrating than you did before the event?
Have your symptoms lasted for more than a month?
Is your distress making it hard for you to work or function normally?
Contact Us
Working through trauma can be scary, painful, and potentially re-traumatizing. Finding the right therapist is important. But the quality of the relationship with your therapist is equally important.
In order to heal from psychological and emotional trauma, you’ll need to resolve the unpleasant feelings and memories you’ve long avoided, discharge pent-up “fight-or-flight” energy, learn to regulate strong emotions, and rebuild your ability to trust other people. I will use a variety of different therapeutic approaches in your treatment.
Click the link below to make a booking with me.