Trauma & PTSD Whole Person Healing
"Hope significantly improves performance in life, as well as recovery from illness". ~ James S. Gordon
What is trauma?
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Let's get one thing out of the way, trauma is trauma; big or small, old or new. What differentiates trauma from everyday stress is the impact that it has on our brain chemistry and in the functioning of our lives overall.
Simply put, trauma is a condition that can be developed after experiencing or witnessing a perceived threat such as a disturbing or scary event. It often, manifests as a loss of connection to ourselves, to our bodies, to our families, to others, and to the world around us.
It is important to note that what may traumatize you, may not traumatize someone else, and that would not mean that what you've experienced wasn't real or bad enough. Even when a traumatic event is experienced collectively, such as a natural disaster, it will not affect everyone in the same way.
Because as human beings we were created to withstand the toughest life's conditions, we in turn, organically develop coping mechanisms that helps us stay alive. This may be the reason why we may not have realized that we may have experienced trauma. However, upon careful observation, one may realize that trauma symptoms are present, even though trauma happens, conscious healing is a choice and our birthright.
Traumatic symptoms are not caused by the triggering event itself. They stem from the frozen residue of energy that has not been resolved and discharged; this residue remains trapped in the nervous system where it can wreak havoc on our bodies and spirits.
~ Peter Levine
~ Peter Levine
How can you tell if you have experienced trauma?
Trauma may cause a range of reactions, and some people may not realize they've experienced it.
It may be trauma if you are experiencing several of the following symptoms after :
There are common physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual reactions to trauma.
Physical reactions such as nausea, vomiting and dizziness; disturbed sleep and nightmares; and fatigue or exhaustion.
Emotional reactions such as feeling numb and detached; oversensitivity and not wanting to connect with others as a result of emotional triggers.
Mental reactions such as intrusive thoughts about the event; and repeatedly playing parts of the event over in the mind of what could have been done.
Lastly, spiritual reactions may include struggling to make spiritual sense of a trauma; developing a need to reconcile difficult events with beliefs; seeking closeness to a Higher Power, and sense of collaborating with a Higher Power or other divine or transcendent aspect of life in order to solve problems; and/or finding a great sense of purpose in life.
More on symptoms of trauma:
It may be trauma if you are experiencing several of the following symptoms after :
- 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
There are common physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual reactions to trauma.
Physical reactions such as nausea, vomiting and dizziness; disturbed sleep and nightmares; and fatigue or exhaustion.
Emotional reactions such as feeling numb and detached; oversensitivity and not wanting to connect with others as a result of emotional triggers.
Mental reactions such as intrusive thoughts about the event; and repeatedly playing parts of the event over in the mind of what could have been done.
Lastly, spiritual reactions may include struggling to make spiritual sense of a trauma; developing a need to reconcile difficult events with beliefs; seeking closeness to a Higher Power, and sense of collaborating with a Higher Power or other divine or transcendent aspect of life in order to solve problems; and/or finding a great sense of purpose in life.
More on symptoms of trauma:
Secondary and Vicarious Trauma
Secondary trauma, also known as secondary traumatic stress (STS), can occur suddenly after a single exposure to trauma, such as hearing a patient's story. Symptoms include PTSD-like responses, such as intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and hyperarousal (insomnia and startling easily).
Vicarious trauma can develop over time as a result of prolonged exposure to trauma through working with people who have experienced trauma, or by hearing traumatic stories from others. Symptoms may include a shift in worldview, such as becoming more cynical or fearful, or more appreciative of what you have. Vicarious trauma can also lead to feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, and being overwhelmed.
According to van Dernoot Lipsky and Burk, these two kinds of trauma affect anyone who interacts with the suffering, pain, and crisis of others or our planet. To name some examples, both secondary and vicarious trauma can be found in therapists, social workers, medical personnel, teachers, firefighters, police officers, ecologists, domestic violence workers, home health aides, animal shelters staff, international relief workers, social-change activists, and those caring for an elderly parent.
Vicarious trauma can develop over time as a result of prolonged exposure to trauma through working with people who have experienced trauma, or by hearing traumatic stories from others. Symptoms may include a shift in worldview, such as becoming more cynical or fearful, or more appreciative of what you have. Vicarious trauma can also lead to feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, and being overwhelmed.
According to van Dernoot Lipsky and Burk, these two kinds of trauma affect anyone who interacts with the suffering, pain, and crisis of others or our planet. To name some examples, both secondary and vicarious trauma can be found in therapists, social workers, medical personnel, teachers, firefighters, police officers, ecologists, domestic violence workers, home health aides, animal shelters staff, international relief workers, social-change activists, and those caring for an elderly parent.
The kinds of Trauma I work with
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Individuals who have experienced discrimination, abuse of power, and violence of any kind based on:
Race, Ethnicity, or Skin Color; Gender; LGBTQ+ (gender expression and sexual and/or romantic orientation); Socio-Economic Background; Age; and Ability.
Racial Ambiguity & Mixed Race/Multiracial/Biracial or Monoracial Experience
Adult Immigration Trauma
Race, Ethnicity, or Skin Color; Gender; LGBTQ+ (gender expression and sexual and/or romantic orientation); Socio-Economic Background; Age; and Ability.
Racial Ambiguity & Mixed Race/Multiracial/Biracial or Monoracial Experience
Adult Immigration Trauma
Relational Trauma with adult survivors of child sexual, physical, and / or psychological abuse and neglect
Emotional Distress Syndrome of ADHD
Post-Abortion Stress Syndrome (PASS)
Challenging Psychedelic Experiences
Survivors of Violent Crimes
Survivors of Domestic Violence who no longer have contact with the abuser
Survivors of Rape
Survivors of War and Torture
Secondary and Vicarious Trauma
Survivors of Natural Disasters
Survivors of Any Kind of Accidents
Medical patients who have been given a serious diagnosis
Medical patients who have been informed that they have a terminal illness and are dying
Patients who have undergone surgery or another invasive medical procedure and are feeling traumatized by the experience
Sudden Death of a Loved One
Emotional Distress Syndrome of ADHD
Post-Abortion Stress Syndrome (PASS)
Challenging Psychedelic Experiences
Survivors of Violent Crimes
Survivors of Domestic Violence who no longer have contact with the abuser
Survivors of Rape
Survivors of War and Torture
Secondary and Vicarious Trauma
Survivors of Natural Disasters
Survivors of Any Kind of Accidents
Medical patients who have been given a serious diagnosis
Medical patients who have been informed that they have a terminal illness and are dying
Patients who have undergone surgery or another invasive medical procedure and are feeling traumatized by the experience
Sudden Death of a Loved One
The Adverse Effects of Chronic / Long-Term Trauma
Trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk supported that although firsthand experience with trauma leads to personal suffering, it can be sublimated into social or artistic action and thus can serve as a powerful agent for social change. For instance, consciously or unconsciously, some people may be drawn to working in helping professions that are connected to an earlier trauma in their lives; therefore, everyone in helping professions may greatly benefit from therapy as well.
Dis-ease tends to become chronic if it remain untreated for long periods of time.
Codependence - Codependents Anonymous defines codependence as embodying a list of behavioral and thinking patterns and characteristics of denial, low self-esteem, compliance, control, and avoidance a result of long-term trauma.
Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) - Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. supports that HSP's have a sensitive nervous system, are aware of subtleties in their surroundings, and are more easily overwhelmed when in a highly stimulating environment, often as a result of traumatic experiences.
Body / Character Armoring - A term coined by Welhelm Reich, the father of body psychotherapy, as the condition that results when life force energy is bound by muscular contraction and does not flow through the body.
Dis-ease tends to become chronic if it remain untreated for long periods of time.
Codependence - Codependents Anonymous defines codependence as embodying a list of behavioral and thinking patterns and characteristics of denial, low self-esteem, compliance, control, and avoidance a result of long-term trauma.
Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) - Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. supports that HSP's have a sensitive nervous system, are aware of subtleties in their surroundings, and are more easily overwhelmed when in a highly stimulating environment, often as a result of traumatic experiences.
Body / Character Armoring - A term coined by Welhelm Reich, the father of body psychotherapy, as the condition that results when life force energy is bound by muscular contraction and does not flow through the body.
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Reach out when you are ready to: Get your head out of the dark cloud of trauma that hinders your vision, and take your life back!
“Trauma is not so much what happened to us, but, rather what we hold inside, in the absence of an empathic, mutually connected witness.” ~ Peter A. Levine