Are You Living With Symptoms Of Unresolved Trauma?
- Have you survived an instance of assault, abuse, combat, or any other shocking and scary event?
- Do you often re-experience painful and distressing memories from your past?
- Are intense emotional and physical responses to triggers keeping you stuck in a cycle of trauma?
Trauma is typically seen as an experience that produces severe emotional injury or psychological shock. Common traumas include life-or-death situations and adverse childhood experiences. However, not all traumatic events are necessarily dangerous; instances of grief and sudden loss, for example, can also be categorized as trauma.
If you experienced something shocking or harmful that disrupted your sense of safety, you may have developed various physical and psychological symptoms associated with trauma. And if these symptoms have lasted over a month, it’s possible you have developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—otherwise known as PTSD.
Indicators of PTSD can include but are not limited to being easily startled or “on edge,” having angry outbursts, recalling intrusive memories, and developing distorted or negative thoughts about yourself and the world around you. If any of these symptoms apply, you likely waver between intense emotional reaction and numbness.
You may also experience physical symptoms of trauma, such as hypervigilance or panic. Or perhaps your sleep is disrupted by nightmares and insomnia.
Unresolved Trauma Can Have A Detrimental Effect On Your Relationships
PTSD often results in strained interpersonal dynamics as you experience difficulty trusting and maintaining security in your relationships. Frequent outbursts may have caused chronic conflict between you and your loved ones. Or maybe you’ve lost your sense of joy for the people, places, and activities that once instilled your life with hope and meaning.
When you’re stuck in past pains, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy connection with others, your environment, and yourself as you continue to struggle with symptoms of PTSD. But in therapy for trauma, you can process and heal from adverse experiences using verified PTSD treatment models.
At Least Six Percent Of The US Population Will Struggle With PTSD
Traumatic experiences are by no means rare. According to the US Department for Veterans Affairs, about 15 million adults will experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in any given year. And research indicates that six percent of the entire population will develop symptoms of PTSD at some point in their lives.
Though many factors contribute to the onset of post-traumatic stress, evidence supports that trauma responses are often genetically predetermined and can repeat through generational cycles. For instance, for a child growing up in a home with psychological, sexual, or physical abuse, or emotionally abusive parents, they are likely one in a long line of trauma survivors.
Our trauma response originates in the moment that the trauma takes place. Therefore, those living with PTSD live in a constant state of fight-or-flight, regularly re-experiencing the event when triggered or when reminders like anniversaries awaken painful memories. This pattern naturally contributes to a sense of unease, discomfort, and shame. It makes sense, then, that trauma survivors often also develop anxiety, depression, and substance abuse on top of typical symptoms of PTSD.
Medication Can Help, But Therapy Is The Most Effective Treatment For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
There are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including Zoloft and Paxil, that have been demonstrated to target symptoms of PTSD in adults. Because these medications are technically antidepressants, they can help reduce sadness, anger, worry, and emotional numbness in individuals.
And though medication can be an option for PTSD treatment, it’s important to keep in mind that medication used in conjunction with talk therapy yields better results. Whereas medication only masks symptoms while you take it, talk therapy can help you process the traumatic experience, adjust your stress response, and facilitate long-term healing.
PTSD Treatment At The Relationship Suite
When your self-esteem and relationships become strained by the ongoing cycle of trauma, it can be difficult to have hope that symptom reduction and relief are possible. Yet many therapies and treatment methods have been developed to target PTSD specifically.
At The Relationship Suite in New York City and New Jersey, our approach to counseling for PTSD typically includes elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). CBT can help you adjust your reactions and behaviors as you regain a sense of control, and EMDR uses eye movement to gently resolve how trauma is stored in the brain.
In addition, mindfulness is particularly useful in PTSD treatment, as it allows you to identify the physical and emotional sensations that keep you stuck in counterproductive patterns.
As you gain deeper self-awareness and a toolbox of cognitive strategies, you will be better able to regulate your emotions, ultimately shifting the perception of yourself and the world around you toward a more healed, optimistic outlook. With the support of our skilled and nonjudgmental therapists at The Relationship Suite, you can understand and resolve PTSD so that trauma no longer compromises your quality of life.
Maybe You’ve Considered Counseling For PTSD But You Have Some Concerns…
I just need to get over this trauma on my own instead of working with a PTSD therapist.
The trouble with trauma is that it creates a cycle keeping you stuck in the past and constantly battling uncomfortable symptoms of PTSD. If you could escape the cycle of trauma on your own, you would feel better by now.
Working with a trained, supportive therapist, you can begin the essential work of processing your trauma, understanding your response, and finding relief from PTSD. Our methods are specifically trauma-informed so that deep and lasting healing can occur.
Can I work with any therapist in PTSD treatment?
It’s important to work with a trained, empathetic therapist who has experience working with PTSD. There are several modalities used in therapy, so finding trauma-informed care is essential on the path to healing.
At The Relationship Suite, our clinicians are trained in both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)—approaches specifically designed to target symptoms of PTSD. We will collaborate with you and identify your strengths to determine which treatment methods will work best for minimizing the impact that PTSD has had on your life.
I will never feel better about what happened to me.
We understand that certain experiences can produce feelings of extreme sadness, shame, and pessimism, causing you to feel like nothing will ever get better. But in therapy, you can find an experienced clinician who will work to understand your needs.
With our tailored treatment methods, we have seen clients who were once paralyzed by symptoms of PTSD successfully navigate and overcome their trauma. We know that treatment can work for you too.
You Can Learn To Process And Move On From Trauma
If you’re determined to break the cycle of trauma and move forward with your life, PTSD treatment at The Relationship Suite in New York and New Jersey can help you manage symptoms and heal.
To schedule a free, 20-minute consultation, please call (917) 273 – 8836 or contact us via our site.
