Trauma

Dallas Counseling for Trauma

 

What is trauma?

Trauma is emotional damage that occurs as a result of an extremely disturbing or shocking event or series of events that can overwhelm a person’s ability to cope. The sense of

being overwhelmed can be delayed by weeks, years or even decades, as the person struggles to cope with the immediate circumstances.

What are some causes of trauma?

Trauma can be caused by a variety of events, which may or may not be accompanied by physical trauma. It is not the event that determines if something is traumatic, but the individual’s experience of the event. Some examples of causes of trauma include:

• emotional abuse or neglect
• physical abuse or neglect
• sexual abuse (such as rape, incest, molestation, etc.)
• experiencing or witnessing violence, horrific injury, or fatalities
• bullying
• domestic violence
• living with an alcoholic or drug addicted parent
• natural disasters (earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, etc.)
• serious bodily injury
• serious accidents such as automobile or other high-impact scenarios
• serious falls or sports injuries
• serious illness
• breakup of a significant relationship
• a humiliating or deeply disappointing experience

What is the difference between trauma and stress?  Trauma is stress on steroids. Stress lasts only a short period of time or during the stressful situation (marital, family or job situations, for example). Soon after the stressful situation ends, we return to our normal state of mind. This is not so with trauma, which is longer-lasting and whose symptoms endure long after the traumatic situation ends.

What are some symptoms of trauma?

Physical

•  Eating disturbances (more or less than usual)
•  Sleep disturbances (more or less than usual)
•  Sexual dysfunction
•  Low energy
•  Chronic, unexplained pain

Emotional

• Depression, spontaneous crying, despair and hopelessness
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Fearfulness
• Compulsive and obsessive behaviors
• Feeling out of control
• Irritability, angry and resentment
• Emotional numbness
• Withdrawal from normal routine and relationships

Cognitive

• Memory lapses, especially about the trauma
• Difficulty making decisions
• Decreased ability to concentrate
• Feeling distracted
• ADHD symptoms

What are the possible behavioral effects of emotional trauma?

Common behavioral effects of emotional trauma:

• substance abuse
• compulsive behavior patterns
• self-destructive and impulsive behavior
• uncontrollable reactive thoughts
• inability to make healthy professional or lifestyle choices
• dissociative symptoms (“splitting off” parts of the self)
• feelings of ineffectiveness, shame, despair, hopelessness
• feeling permanently damaged
• a loss of previously sustained beliefs
• inability to maintain close relationships or choose appropriate friends and mates
• sexual problems
• hostility
• arguments with family members, employers or co-workers
• social withdrawal
• feeling constantly threatened

Is trauma treatable?

Trauma can be effectively treated by a professional Insights therapist. You don’t have to live with the effects of trauma forever. The Insights therapist who specializes in trauma recovery is Jeff Baldridge. Call Insights Therapy today at 214.706.0508, click here to email us, or click here to schedule an appointment. Insights offers flexible scheduling with daytime, evening and weekend appointments.