Modern Mindful Therapy
Specialising in treatments for anxiety problems, depression,
self-esteem, perfectionism, trauma and anger
by Elliot Rose
Trauma
Do you suffer from PTSD or feel traumatised from specific events in your life?
Not all Trauma leads to PTSD but we may experience symptoms.
Through no fault of our own, we can sometimes process difficult life events in unhelpful ways. Where most might let an event go, some of us might be shaken to the core by the emotional impact or negative consequences of a particular situation or run of events. Once the negative memory is programmed in, we may feel as if we’re trapped or cursed as the memory pattern plays out through our mind on an almost continual loop., churning up unpleasant emotions again and again and tainting almost every aspect of our lives.
Traumas can be picked up in different ways – people we love die, things we love break, relationships end suddenly, people act cruelly towards us, our parents get sick, we age (and might fear it), teens rebel and push us to our limits, jobs and careers get turned upside-down...and so on…The list of possible things that could potentially traumatise us is endless. Not all traumas need to be connected to a life-threatening disaster. I’m not talking about PTSD here, but events in our past feel like they have affected us just as profoundly. It's sometimes referred to as PDSD - Prolonged Duress Stress Disorder - Meaning that we've put up with a lot or crap in our lives for a very long time and it's finally taken its toll on us psychologically.
In a rush to feel and act normal, many of us may avoid dealing with the pain of these life experiences and can can bend up feeling isolated and stuck. The willingness and courage to face our everyday traumas and heal from them will enable us to build resilience and successfully navigate our way through life.
I can help you to you to:
+ Identify your indicators and triggers of trauma
+ Identify what is keeping you feeling stuck in your personal and/or professional life.
+ Teach you a way to get your mind healed and you back on track.
PTSD
“Trauma” is a word derived from Ancient Greece, that indicates a physical “Wound” or “Damage”. When someone has experienced a difficult event that has caused disruption to their psychological wellness, we apply the term “psychological trauma” to describe this wounded, or damaged, psychological experience.
Clinical evidence has shown us that, people who have been exposed to sudden traumatic events, such as car accidents or terrorist attacks, may not only be physically injured, but may harbour hidden psychological wounds also. It doesn’t have to limited to those two examples, any event that is sudden and triggers fears of death or severe harm can lead to psychological trauma, such as injuries caused by sexual assaults, serious illnesses or even natural disasters. Trauma can violently shatter our once calm perception of reality and tear our lives, and the lives of the people close to us, apart.
Usually a traumatic incident will continue playing and repeating in our mind for quite a bit of time, usually, with help from those around us, our minds can manage to process the event and heal to return to normal functioning once again. This is because our mind, like our body, has a natural ability to heal itself. Current clinical data suggest that about 60% of the population who encounter a traumatic event will naturally recover (although this can still take a bit of time). This means that, many of us who experience a traumatic event will experience post-traumatic symptoms for a period of time, and a significant portion of this group may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is classified as an anxiety-related disorder caused by exposure to a traumatic event.
How does PTSD develop?
PTSD can develop in a number of different ways. For example, after experiencing a traumatic event, after witnessing someone else’s traumatic event or after learning a traumatic event involving a close family member or friend has occurred. Traumatic events aren’t biased, anyone could be exposed to an event that could be life-threatening, accidents happen and we can simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Experiencing a traumatic situation, or witnessing one from the sidelines, can generate feelings of fear and helplessness. It can also generate a rage against the world for being so cruel and unpredictable, leaving us without trust or hope for the stability of the fabric of our reality. If you experience PTSD it does not mean that you are weak. PTSD is a natural process that has to occur for our brain to keep us safe in threatening situations. Our brain is trying to protect us.
However, PTSD can continuously affect daily life long after the event has subsided, making once easy, and taken for granted, living extremely difficult. Sufferers of PTSD may experience flashbacks of the event. Flashbacks are a feeling/image/sound/smell/taste that the event is recurring again and again. Flashbacks are not just visual episodes like you see on TV, they are multi-sensory replays of the moments surrounding the traumatic event. Nightmares may occur, concentration may be effected and a lot of background anxiety and hyper-vigilance (meaning constant preparedness for a threat) are sometimes additional symptoms that may be present.
How I can help with PTSD
PTSD can be very distressing and difficult for the person suffering from it and for those around them. Learning about the symptoms of PTSD can help you recognise the problem. Learning about the mechanisms in the brain that produce PTSD symptoms will help you understand the problem and be less fearful of it and feeling more in control. I can help you rebuild the neural pathways disrupted by trauma and reduce the symptoms so that you can return to a normal way of life once more. You do not need to continue suffering with these symptoms alone. After therapy your trauma will be gone.
I will help you control the trauma
Want to Get in Touch?
Elliot Rose Therapy
Elliot Rose is a psychotherapist who uses a number of different therapeutic approaches to help people feel better and become the best that they can be. Elliot has spent many years helping people through the NHS and now teaches psychotherapy full-time at the Buckinghamshire New University.
Elliot currently provides BABCP Accredited training for students heading towards independent practice in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Elliot also provides supervision and welcomes enquiries from existing therapists to help them with their practice.
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