The Heart of Therapy
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) describes a set of reactions that develop after exposure to a frightening, overwhelming, threatening or traumatic event or experience. It involves experiencing the following types of difficulties: 1. Intrusion Symptoms - This includes intrusive thoughts, distressing memories, nightmares, and flashbacks where you feel as though you are reliving the traumatic event. Your brain tries to process the trauma by replaying it, often causing vivid memories or nightmares. - Strong emotional or physical responses (like sweating, heart racing) when exposed to cues that resemble the traumatic event. This response can be understood as the nervous system trying to alert potential danger, even if the threat is no longer present. 2. Avoidance Symptoms - Efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, conversations, activities, places, or people that trigger memories of the trauma. - A persistent attempt to avoid memories and emotional pain by shutting down emotionally, which can manifest as numbness, a lack of interest in activities, or detachment from others. 3. Negative Alterations in Cognition and Mood. - Feelings such as fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame. - Difficulty feeling happiness, satisfaction, or loving feelings. - When something traumatic occurs, it can shatter your sense of safety and control. As a result, the brain may adopt negative beliefs like "I'm not safe," "I can't trust anyone," or "I'm unworthy" as a way to explain the trauma and prepare for future threats. These beliefs can serve as a protective mechanism, helping you anticipate danger and avoid situations that might lead to more pain. However, while these beliefs might seem like a way to stay safe, they can also reinforce feelings of helplessness, fear, and isolation, making it harder to heal and move forward. - When you've experienced trauma, unfairly blaming yourself or others is often a way for the mind to regain a sense of control and understanding. Trauma can leave you feeling powerless and confused, so your brain searches for explanations to make sense of what happened. Blaming yourself ("If only I had done something differently") provides a way to create a cause-and-effect narrative, and can make the chaotic and unpredictable nature of trauma feel more manageable. This coping mechanism can deepen feelings of guilt, shame, or anger and hinder the healing process. - A marked decrease in participation in once enjoyable activities. - A sense of alienation or estrangement from others. 4. Arousal and Reactivity Symptoms - Hypervigilance or an exaggerated sense of being on guard, constantly scanning for potential threats. Your nervous system stays on high alert making you feel jumpy or easily startled. - Heightened irritability, anger outbursts, or aggressive behaviour. - Your brain prioritises survival, making it hard to focus, fall asleep or stay asleep,
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) describes a more complex and severe type of PTSD resulting from ongoing, long-term trauma that occurs during developmentally important periods of life or times of extreme vulnerability, such as adolescence or childhood. It is typically interpersonal in nature, involves repeated exposure to traumatic events such as abuse, neglect, exploitation, absence of a parent, parent’s drinking or substance addiction, or violence, and often involves a power imbalance (older-younger, parent-child, teacher-child). People experiencing C-PTSD experience the core symptoms of PTSD but usually have more severe challenges with: 1. Emotional regulation, which can manifest as: Excessive emotional reactivity, such as intense anger, fear or sadness. Emotional numbing or difficulty experiencing emotions. 2. Negative Self-Concept: Persistent beliefs of oneself as diminished, defeated, or worthless are often accompanied by deep and pervasive feelings of shame, guilt, or failure. 3. Disturbances in Relationships: Difficulties sustaining relationships and feeling close to others often resulting in significant isolation or persistent interpersonal conflict.
While talk therapy can be helpful for many conditions, PTSD and C-PTSD often require specialised approaches. We are compassionate and understanding therapists with specialist training and skills that can help you overcome PTSD and C-PTSD.
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