Trauma and Abuse Issues

Individuals who at some point in their lives have experienced stressful events that have posed a significant risk for serious injury, or death can be said to have experienced trauma.

An isolated stressor can be traumatic, or a series of stressors can pose an even greater risk for traumatizing an individual. PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the formal name for this condition, which includes customary symptoms that characterize it. These individuals most likely will experience flashbacks, which are intrusive, recurrent thoughts/images about the trauma, and suffer extreme distress from any internal, or external cues that resemble, or symbolize the trauma.

This usually is followed by persistent avoidance of any stimuli associated with the trauma. Irritability, sleep disruptions, hypervigilance, and exaggerated startle response usually are present. PTSD is a form of anxiety, and can manifest itself with many of the symptoms described in the anxiety section.

Abuse, or any form of it, such as physical, emotional, and sexual is considered traumatic because the experience often significantly threatens the emotional and physical well being of the individual, especially when that individual is a child. Often, children with unresolved abuse experiences become adults with unresolved abuse histories, which can interfere and compromise healthy functioning. Both depressive, and anxiety symptoms may become part of this condition. Please refer to the section on EMDR which offers an explanation of a unique treatment for trauma/abuse.