Trauma / PTSD

Trauma / PTSD

The experience of a traumatic event can overwhelm a person for days, weeks, months, and even years. What once seemed like an ordinary life can be filled with unannounced, sudden, and powerful negative memories of an earlier traumatic event. Some describe it as a vivid flashback, others relive the feelings without the visual memory, but either way it can feel like life will never be the same. Our counselors often see people experiencing negative symptoms after traumatic events like:

• Workplace accidents
• Car accidents
• Sexual assault or abuse
• Domestic violence
• Combat
• Witnessing or experiencing a crime

This list is certainly not exhaustive as unexpected tragic events can happen to a person in countless ways. Fortunately there are a variety of very effective treatments available to help individuals recover regardless of when the event took place.

While a small percentage of the population suffers from posttraumatic memory “flashbacks” (or PTSD), a far greater number of individuals struggle on a regular basis with emotional “over-reactions.” Chronic over-reacting usually indicates a person is triggered to defend him or herself from a past event, which was very painful emotionally or physically. Unfortunately, chronic “over-reacting” can be very damaging to current relationships.

If you have troubling memories, a PTSD diagnosis or unexpected emotional reactions that disrupt the way you want to live your life we encourage you to call. We can help.