The truth about trauma

The word trauma is used in our everyday lives to describe highly stressful events. It covers a broad range of situations which fall under the categories of physical injury and emotional and physiological disturbances.

The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible life event,” where the experience overwhelms the individual’s ability to cope. According to a press release published by the Department of Health earlier this year, over 1,600 patients suffer from major trauma every year in Ireland.

Here in MyMind, we understand that psychological trauma is an extremely individual experience, and it is an individual’s perspective that determines whether an event is traumatic or not.

Two people could go through the same experience, and one person be left traumatized, and the other not think it traumatic at all.

For this reason alone, it is important that people feel they can speak out about their traumas, or their experience of dealing with PTSD, and know that it is okay to need some help.

There are risk factors that make certain people more likely to experience psychological trauma following a disturbing event, such as already being under a heavy stress load, recently suffering a series of losses, or having been traumatized previously, especially in childhood.

However, children and adults often don’t have the same reactions to trauma, and trauma in children, if not dealt with, can have severe and long-lasting effects.

Some emotional symptoms of trauma include denial, anger, sadness and emotional outbursts. Trauma can also result in PTSD, depression, anxiety, alcohol and substance abuse, and can have a significant impact on your relationships.

So, knowing that there are people out there who can help you deal with your trauma and offer support, such as the mental health professionals in MyMind, can provide people with the tools to manage their trauma and help people to understand that the effects of trauma do not have to last a lifetime.

Trauma can be treated in a number of ways by means of therapy and medications.

Some of the most effective therapeutic approaches in dealing with trauma involve Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy and hypnotherapy.

All of these therapeutic approaches are provided by the experienced counsellors and psychotherapists in MyMind.

If you or a loved one has experienced a trauma, and are experiencing persistent disturbances, or would simply just like to talk to someone, you can book an appointment with one of our therapist here or by calling a member of our team on 076 680 1060.

Click the button below to book an appointment at MyMind today.