Trauma symptoms and treatments

Are you living with PTSD or Trauma-related symptoms?  Healing from trauma, including reducing or eliminating PTSD symptoms, is possible with help.  Seeking counseling with a skilled trauma therapist is important because recovering from a traumatic event may require a different therapeutic approach.

• Trauma symptoms:  People have experienced trauma often experience both emotional and physical symptoms that may linger or change over time.  You may experience a lot of anxiety, heightened sense of fear, sadness, nightmares, poor concentration, sense of shock, disbelief, denial, anger, guilt, shame, self-blame, tiredness, or feeling physically “stressed out” or “on edge,”  among other symptoms. 
  • Who are trauma survivors:  People often think of war veterans as having PTSD, but many people who suffer from PTSD have never gone off to war.  In fact, many trauma survivors have lived relatively "ordinary" lives.  What people often don't realize is that people who have grown up in dysfunctional homes, who have been in serious accidents, who have received less-than-optimal medical care, who have lived with domestic violence, and many other all-too-common daily experiences can be perceived as trauma and can cause serious symptoms.  If you suffer from symptoms identified as trauma symptoms and you feel that you have experienced something traumatic, you could likely benefit from professional help. 
  • When you should get help:  If you have experienced a traumatic event or are experiencing symptoms of PTSD, you should seek help as soon as you are able.  Research shows that PTSD symptoms develop in months and years following a trauma, and not instantly.  This means that the sooner you get help, the greater your chance of feeling better before you even develop symptoms.  If you already experience symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, hyper-arousal, numbness, anxiety, depression, or other trauma-related signs, then you can get relief now.  It is possible to heal from trauma and reduce these unpleasant experiences, and seeking help with a therapist who understands how to work with trauma survivors is the first step.
  • Treatment options for trauma and PTSD:  The pace and timing of treatment is set by the person seeking therapy, as approaching change slowly and assuring a sense of emotional safety and connection within the therapeutic relationship is very important when healing from trauma.  It is as important to work with understanding the impact of events as it is to regain a felt-sense of physical safety.  For this reason, somatically oriented therapies are often integrated into the healing process.  Effective psychotherapy treatment options for PTSD and trauma include EMDR, talk therapy, IFS, Sand Tray therapy, and Mindfulness based treatment.  In treating trauma, the therapeutic relationship, itself, is often very important in remedying the loneliness, fear, and isolation that can occur.
  • What happens to trauma-related symptoms after therapy:  People often notice that these upsetting symptoms reduce or disappear during the course of psychotherapy treatment.    

therapy for trauma / ptsd in Norwalk ct

If you suffer from trauma related symptoms, you can start feeling better and living a more full and connected life.  Counseling with an experienced and knowledgeable trauma therapist can offer this relief.  Come visit Whole Psychotherapy, located in Norwalk CT, or remotely by video and audio conferencing teletherapy.