Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD

PTSD – frequently occurs when individuals experience or witness traumatic events, i.e., natural disasters, a violent act, a severe accident, rape, or any other violent personal assault].
But most of us have some “less than positive experiences” throughout our childhood, adolescence, and adult lives that were perceived and stored unresolved in our memories and had a lingering effect. Sometimes our internal self-talk abuses us without realizing it, like shaming, critical or perfectionistic thoughts.
People with PTSD experience intense “fight, flight, and/or freeze” responses triggered by anything that reminds them of the trauma or adverse events.
PTSD symptoms include intense emotional responses such as fear, anger, sadness, or detachment from friends, family, and community members. They may find themselves frequently avoiding people and situations that trigger these responses. Ordinary sounds or incidents, such as a door banging or accidental touch in a crowd, may cause a substantial and uncontrollable reaction.
There is hope. Various treatments are available and offer research-based evidence of successfully treating symptoms of PTSD.

• EMDR – EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. This technique uses bilateral sensory input such as side-to-side eye movements that allow the brain to re-process “fight, flight, freeze” responses that are stored in conjunction with the memory, thereby weakening, even neutralizing, the difficult thoughts, memories, and emotions. You still have the memory but the emotional dysregulation association is weakened, even gone.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – CBT is a form of talk therapy that focuses on how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are related to one another. The goal of a CBT therapist is to help a client with PTSD return to a place of hope with a greater sense of being in control of their thoughts and behaviors.

If you or a loved one have PTSD or other adverse life events and would like to explore treatment options with you, please reach out to me. I have personally seen amazing transformation through these therapies and want to offer the help you need to enjoy life again.