What is Trauma?
What is a traumatic event? What does feeling "triggered" mean? These questions are unique to each one of us and depend on several factors, including our genetics, our upbringing, and the support network we currently have. There is also the question of the event itself, and how much it impacts our lives.
How I Address Trauma
Treatment has been categorized in three “avenues.” Recovery can require a combination of treatments:
- Top-Down: Talking, connecting with others, allowing ourselves and others to know what is going on while we process memories of the trauma.
- Medications/biological technologies: that help to reduce inappropriate alarm-reactions and change the way the body organizes environmental information (your family doctor, mental health physician, or psychiatrist will help you with these treatments).
- Bottom-Up: Allowing the body to have experiences that deeply contradict the helplessness, rage, and collapse that resulted from the trauma.
Ready to talk with someone who can help?
What is PTSD?
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a diagnosable and treatable mental health disorder that can follow exposure to a traumatic event or series of events. Our minds recover naturally from upsetting or traumatic experiences, but when the mind cannot complete this recovery process on its own and symptoms persist or get worse, we may develop PTSD and need specialized help.
PTSD has specific psychological symptoms that can include:
- Triggers
- Flashbacks
- Sleep disturbances
- Intrusive memories
- Persistently negative thoughts
- Low mood, anger, or feeling emotionally numb
- Regular, vivid recall of the psychologically traumatic event
- Trouble remembering parts of the psychologically traumatic event
- Having difficulties feeling emotionally connected to family or close friends
- Avoiding reminders or thinking about the psychologically traumatic event
Click for more information: Government of Canada, Canadian Mental Health Association, National Institute of Mental Health
How I Address PTSD
All trauma is not PTSD, and there are many ways to categorize what is traumatic. This can lead to confusion about what the right treatment is for each person. EMDR is an evidence-based treatment that meets a high standard of testing and has shown reliable and valid results for treating trauma symptoms.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a highly researched and tested therapy for PTSD, complex traumas, and has been shown to be effective for a wide range of issues including addiction, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, psychosis, complicated grief, sexual abuse, and performance anxiety.
