Trauma

Have you experienced a recent traumatic event or perhaps still suffer from old traumatic events? Do you have triggers that cause you to shut down, feel like you need to run away and hide, or maybe even just disappear entirely from life when things get stressful? Are you suffering from lingering fear and anxiety? Do you feel like you no longer have any control over how you think, feel, and behave? We offer therapy for women with PTSD.

Big “T” Trauma

Posttraumatic stress disorder – also known as PTSD – is a mental health challenge that may occur in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a terrorist act, an act of war, a serious accident, rape, or any other violent personal assault. They often are single events. They may involve death, threats of death, or serious injury, to which the person reacts with feelings of intense fear, helplessness, or horror.  Single incidents traumas can also look like public shaming, sexual assault/rape, domestic abuse/violence, surviving childhood neglect/abuse/bullying/emotional/physical /sexual abuse, being robbed, attacked, witnessing abuse or death, being kidnapped, major medical procedures, car accidents, sporting accidents and so much more.  If you have PTSD, please reach out to us. We can help!

Little “t” trauma

Little doesn’t mean insignificant; only that they are not life-threatening. Do not be deceived though as they are life-altering! Many people in our day and time are affected by little “t” traumas that can linger when things are not processed and adaptively stored in our brains. These come from a breakup, a job loss, getting bullied or rejected by a friend group, working for a narcissist, discovering a spouses affair/secret life, unjust criticism by parents or at work, inequality or oppression baced on race or gender, being bullied online, you rhome being broken into, or losing a beloved pet. It isn’t uncommon for PTSD symptoms to being to disrupt your life after these experiences. The good news is there is help with EMDR for PTSD.  And it is very important to get therapy for PTSD before it gets worse.

What happens to me when I have been traumatized?

PTSD occurs in all people regardless of age, race, nationality, or culture. In fact, women are twice as likely to experience PTSD than men.

Traumatized people may experience flashbacks, triggers, unpredictable emotions, relationship problems, addictive behaviors, headaches, insomnia, and nausea.  When traumas are prolonged over months or years such as being an abused child or being in an abusive relationship, this is called Complex Trauma. What ever typs of trauma it is, it shows up as physical, emotional, and relational problems and often holds people back from living the life they long for.   Traumatized people may have difficulty regulating their emotions, they may dissociate, get lost in time, have low self-esteem, and struggle to control impulses. They can often be foggy mentally, have trouble concentrating, and may self-destruct.

People with PTSD often experience intense thoughts and feelings related to their traumatic experiences. These can last for a long time after the initial event. Many people with PTSD also relive the event through flashbacks and nightmares.

People with PTSD often feel intense emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, and detachment from friends, family, and community members. They often avoid people and situations that remind them of the traumatic event. Ordinary sounds or incidents such as a door banging or accidental touch in a crowd may cause a strong and uncontrollable reaction.

How Can Treatment Help?

At Seven Oaks, we provide EMDR therapy for PTSD, for traumas both big and small, for adverse life events, and for single incident or complicated trauma histories that originate earlier in life. EMDR is an evidence-based highly researched therapy that has been shown to be very effective at treating trauma symptoms. Multiple studies indicate that 84-90% of people using EMDR have recovered in only five hours of treatment.

• EMDR – stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. This technique uses bilateral sensory input such as side-to-side eye movements to stimulate the brain to process difficult thoughts, memories, and emotions.

If you or a loved one suffer from trauma symptoms, complex trauma, or PTSD and would like to explore treatment options, contact us for a free evaluation. We have seen amazing transformation through EMDR therapy and want to offer the helpfor PTSD you need to enjoy life again.