Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
Trauma Therapy for PTSD
Learn to Manage Your Panic and Anxiety |
Effective Therapies | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Seattle.
Instead of helping you get stuck in a psychiatric labeling game, I will assist you in identifying and understanding the natural human nature of your anxiety, phobia, or panic problem.
Perhaps you are willing to commit to a handful of therapy sessions and learn to bring the traumatic events that trouble you to a livable resolution.
In short, I will help you identify and modify the psychological puzzles that turn your historical anxieties, apprehensions, and worries into life-crushing . . . increasingly narrow and self-defeating . . . intimately personal challenges that are otherwise diagnosed as psychiatric syndromes or “Major Mental Disorders.”
With dedication, courage and compassion we’ll find what works for you!
206-547-HELP (4357)
Facing Off: With Your Fear
Feel the Fear and Do Life Anyway!
Acknowledging and skillfully “facing up” to your fears and anxieties squarely is your first step to making changes that will move you in the direction of living your valued life most vitally. Simply achieving the “correct” professional diagnosis (Bipolar, OCD, PTSD, Borderline) certainly won’t help you to get your life back! Right?
What you must do is look into the nature of the extraordinary drama, yes, the ‘”battle” with futile attempts to mange the anxiety or forcefully avoid . . . learn just how this plays-out in your psychological life — so you can start taking effective personal steps to do something about it.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which a person experiences grave fear of physical harm, whether or not the physical harm actually occurred or was only threatened. Inordinately traumatic experiences that may trigger this condition include intrusive or violent personal assaults and natural or human-caused disasters, such as terrorist attacks, motor vehicle accidents, rape, incest, sexual abuse, violent crimes, medical diagnosis, cancer treatment or military combat.
Life must be lived forward . . .
~Soren Kierkegaard
Most people who are directly injured in traumatic events (or who witness them) will experience a brief period of difficulty adjusting to and psychologically integrating the shock of the experience. With time, social support, and healthy coping methods, such post-traumatic reactions usually get better on their own. However, when the experienced trauma is profound, unexpected, or repetitive, the symptoms may become inordinately protracted and last for months — or even years. If you do not rebound from extreme trauma, and your life remains strangely disrupted, you may be experiencing the symptoms of PTSD.
PTSD may occur soon after a significant major ordeal, or it can be delayed for more than six months after the experience. When symptoms occurs so soon, they usually resolve within three months. However, some people suffer longer-term symptoms of PTSD, which can be extremely disruptive and can last for many years.
Symptoms
People that suffer from PTSD can have trouble functioning in the normal activities of daily living, at work, or in personal relationships. Not only are adults affected, but children, too, can be traumatized and have difficulty in school, become isolated and withdraw from others, and manifest other various behavior problems or suffer from seemingly unwarranted phobias.
Many individuals with PTSD repeatedly re-experience the ordeal in the form of flashback episodes, intrusive memories, nightmares, or obsessive and frightening thoughts. Symptoms are frequently noted when survivors are exposed to places, experiences, or objects that have been associated with the previous disturbing event. An “Adjustment Disorder” is diagnosed when one is experiencing the “natural” rebound from a traumatic experience. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is diagnosed when symptoms are significantly disruptive to one’s life (socially, occupationally, psychologically, and physically) and last more than one month.
PTSD Symptoms do not have to last a lifetime and help is available.
Evaluation and Therapy in Seattle
Prevention Counseling for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Apprehension, anxiety, and fear are natural emotions that are frequently experienced by even the healthiest human beings. Such unpleasant emotions are naturally unwanted by most sound thinking people. Nevertheless, such distressing emotional experiences can be both healthy and adaptive when they serve as “signal cues” that propel us into actions that help us protect or preserve our well-being.
Discover the Differences:
Distinguish Normal and “Disordered Anxiety”
Adaptive anxiety and fear are natural human experiences that can serve a life-enhancing and self-protective purpose, helping us sustain safety, avoid trouble — and preserve our lives.
Finding a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist to help you label yourself with a “psychiatric condition” like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, or Panic Disorder will not make your life more livable or help you magically cope with such problems!
Questions to Consider:
Confronting the Core Problem: Are You Living to Avoid Fear and Anxiety?
What, exactly, is the nature of your problem with anxiety? What are the most disturbing and personally defeating or life interfering aspects of you struggle with anxiety and fear?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Prevention of PTSD: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Mindsight:
The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Dr. DanSiegel
Occurrence
Much psychological research has explored the etiology and development of PTSD. Psychological, genetic, physical, and social factors clearly interact in this condition. Research has emphasized the body’s natural response to stress and psychologically shocking events. Studies continue to explore brain structures and variables like stress hormone levels to gain a clearer understanding of the role of neurotransmitters.
Social Support and Prevention
Having solid and loving social support and appropriate counseling helps to protect people from developing more severe symptoms of PTSD. In studies of Vietnam veterans, those with strong social (and therapeutic) support systems were less likely to suffer severe symptoms of PTSD than were those without therapy or cohesive social support.
Therapy and Counseling
Without dedicated therapy or counseling, people diagnosed with PTSD report that they continue to experience the event again and again in at least one of several ways. They may have frightening recollections, dreams, and intrusive memories of the event. Phobias are common because of an understandable fear that similar events will occur. Therapy helps people resolve “flashback” episodes involving memories of the trauma. Without psychotherapy, sufferers may experience extreme anxiety and psychological distress that accompany even remote associations like anniversaries which reflect the history of the disturbing event.
Signs and Symptoms
Post Traumatic Sterss Disorder PTSD
Repeated “reliving” of the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity
Recurrent distressing memories of the event
Repeated dreams or nightmares of the event
Flashback episodes, where the event seems to be happening again and again
Physical reactions to situations that are associated with the event
Avoidance Inability to accurately recall important aspects of the trauma
Lack of interest in engaging in normal activities
Feelings of detachment and estrangement
Sense of having a “shortened” future
Emotional “numbing” or emotional flatness
Diminished expression of moods and emotions
Steadfast avoidance places, people, or objects associated with trauma
Arousal
Irritability or outbursts of frustration or anger
Sleeping difficulties and “night terror”
Difficulty concentrating and focusing attention
Exaggerated response and easily agitated
Excess awareness (hypervigilance)
Sufferers also complain of guilt and shame
about their PTSD symptoms.
Paleness
Feeling your heart beat in your chest (palpitations)
Headache
Fever
Fainting
Dizziness
Agitation
The American Psychological Association provides you with an abundance of information on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD.