Trauma & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Therapy in Calgary

Trauma & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Trauma is an emotional response to a distressing event in which one’s sense of safety is compromised. Our brain sends the body into a state of arousal in an attempt to keep us safe. Our body goes into a fight, flight, or freeze mode which can last long after the traumatic event is over. Most people have a hard time coping after a traumatic event. They may feel anxious, angry, guilty, be unable to stop thinking about it, and have difficulty sleeping. Most people who experience trauma don’t go on to develop PTSD; as they adjust, within a short time they start to feel better.

Trauma is not what happens to us, it’s what happens inside us”
— Dr. Gabor Maté

What are traumatic events?

Traumatic events can be anything that cause you physical, emotional, or psychological harm and can lead to PTSD. Some common examples include:

  • Serious accidents
  • Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse
  • Complex childhood abuse
  • Natural disasters
  • War/combat exposure
  • Witnessing or experiencing violence or a death
  • Medical illnesses or surgery experiences

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

PTSD is a mental health condition caused by experiencing an extremely stressful or terrifying event. Certain factors may put an individual at greater risk of developing PTSD, including: the amount and severity of trauma one has gone through in life, being physically injured during the traumatic event, having a job that exposes you to trauma, such as being in the military or a first responder, having a family history of anxiety and/or depression, and having little or no support.

When a person experiences a traumatic event, it may feel so overwhelming and distressing that it makes it difficult to process the information in the usual way. The memory becomes ‘frozen’ in the brain along with all the original thoughts, emotions, beliefs, body sensations, and even sounds, smells, and tastes. When the memory is triggered, unpleasant feelings and distress are triggered too, often reported as feeling like a ‘flashback’ or reliving the experience.
If symptoms continue for more than one month and cause significant impairment in your daily life including at home, work, and how you interact with those around you, you may be experiencing PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD fall into four categories and include:

  • Intrusive memories
  • Avoidance
  • Negative changes in thinking and mood
  • Alterations in arousal and reactivity
  • Intrusive memories

Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:

  • Recurring, unwanted, distressing memories of the traumatic event
  • Flashbacks involving reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again
  • Upsetting dreams or nightmares related to the traumatic event
  • Severe emotional distress and physical reactions to reminders of the trauma
  • Avoidance

Symptoms of avoidance may include:

  • Trying not to think, feel, or talk about the traumatic event
  • Staying away from places, activities or people that remind you of the trauma
  • Negative changes in thinking and mood

Symptoms of negative thoughts and mood may include:

  • Negative thoughts about yourself, other people, or the world (e.g. I am bad, others can’t be trusted, the world is a dangerous place)
  • Feelings of fear, horror, blame, guilt, anger, or shame
  • Inability to remember important aspects of the traumatic event
  • Feeling detached from family and friends
  • Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
  • Having a hard time feeling positive emotions such as happiness, or loving feelings
  • Changes in physical and emotional reactions

Symptoms of arousal and reactivity may include:

  • Being easily startled or frightened
  • Always being on guard for danger (hypervigilance)
  • Reckless or self-destructive behaviour (e.g. drinking too much or driving too fast)
  • Trouble sleeping (e.g. difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless sleep)
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Irritability, angry outbursts, or aggressive behaviour

Trauma-focused therapy in Calgary for PTSD

Trauma-focused therapy aims to address the root cause of the trauma rather than just alleviating the symptoms. Addressing the root cause means processing the traumatic experience and the impact it has on you using specific treatment modalities. Trauma-focused treatment approaches for PTSD and trauma include Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), EMDR, and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and are all offered at Clear Minds in Calgary by a registered psychologist.

You don’t need to wait until your symptoms worsen and develop into PTSD before getting help. To learn more about therapy for PTSD in Calgary at Clear Minds or to book a free 15 minute brief consultation, please contact me or call 403-389 8771.