Trauma and PTSD

We hear so much about PTSD these days in the media, movies, books, and even people self-diagnosing themselves in every day conversations. Although PTSD has become a colloquialism, it is a serious disorder with its origins in a traumatic event, whether it stems from a car accident, crime, war, a severe weather event, or childhood abuse. Have you ever been subjected to one of the following?

• Traffic accident
• Being in a war zone
• Loss of a job
• Rascism, sexism, homophobia
• Major weather disaster
• A health crisis
• Abuse: physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, or neglect
• Growing up in a chaotic household
• Death of a loved one
• Divorce (of yourself or your parents) in adulthood or childhood
• Bullying

Do you experience any of the following as a result?

• Nightmares of the event
• Feel like it’s happening right now
• Have intrusive thoughts pop into your head
• Hypervigilance (jumpy, always looking around for danger?)
• Easily triggered, quick to react
• Avoidant behavior/negative behavior

If you think you might be suffering from the effects of trauma and/or PTSD, please see a mental health care professional because it doesn’t have to limit your life. There are many different ways to treat PTSD.  I use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), PolyVagal Theory, DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) and other well researched methods to help people overcome its symptoms.

If you, or someone you care about, seems to be struggling with PTSD, consider sharing this downloadable resource I’ve prepared. It contains the symptoms above and how to get in touch with me to begin the healing process.