Trauma-aware Therapy
Frightening or distressing experiences can be traumatic. Whether acute, chronic or complex, trauma can be experienced in:
- Community violence
- Disasters
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Intimate partner violence
- Medical crisis
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Verbal abuse
- Bullying
- Emotional abuse
- Addictions
- Auto accident
- Death or aoss
- Ending of aelationships
- Spiritual or religious abuse
- Witnessing another’s traumatic event
- A highly stressful environment
These examples do not cover all the possibilities of what might be a trauma-inducing experience. Trauma is any experience that overwhelms your thoughts, emotions or body and leaves a negative, or “maladaptive,” memory. It is a lived experience that has the potential to adversely affect you mentally and physically as well as alter how you view relationships, people and the world.
Symptoms of trauma can show up as intrusive memories, changes in behaviors, mood, and physical and emotional well being. This might be experienced in:
- Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories
- Upsetting dreams or nightmares
- Being easily startled or frightened
- Being on guard for danger
- Self destructive behavior such as drinking too much, driving too fast
- Sleep disturbance
- Confusion, difficulty concentrating
- Irritability, anger, aggressive behavior
- Mood swings
- Anxiety and fear
- Guilt, shame, self-blame
- Withdrawing from others
- Fatigue
- Racing heartbeat
- Muscle tension
- Aches and pains
- Avoiding places, people and activities
- Negative thoughts about yourself, other people or the world
- Hopelessness about the future
- Memory problems
- Difficulty maintaining close relationships
- Feeling detached from family and friends
- Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Difficulty experiencing positive emotions
- Feeling emotionally numb