POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDERS (PTSD) can develop following the event that makes you feel a sense of danger or overwhelming painful memories (sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, domestic abuse, bullying, community violence, traumatic grief etc.).
Any event or series of events that leaves you emotionally overwhelmed, hopeless and helpless can trigger PTSD. In a state of PTSD people feel “stuck” into the trauma response unable to return to their normal state of balance.
Symptoms of PTSD include bad intrusive memories and flashbacks, feeling emotionally numb and detached, feeling alienated and alone, negative thoughts, mood changes, nightmares, feeling shame, self-blame, mistrust, irritability, aggression, new phobias, depression, anxiety.
ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES
Childhood trauma may relate to the person – physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, bullying, racism, or to a family member – household disfunction – a parent who suffers substance misuse, exposure to domestic violence, a family member in a jail, a family member suffers mental illness; losing a parent through divorce, death or abandonment.
Childhood trauma increased the risk of health, social and emotional problems. At the individual level you may experienced ACE as a child if you didn’t feel able to talk to your family about feelings; didn’t feel your family stood by you during difficult times; didn’t feel a sense of belonging at school; didn’t have friends; missed non-parent adults who genuine care about you; didn’t feel safe at home.
The more ACE’s a child experiences, the more likely he or she is to suffer from things like heart disease, cancer, poor academic achievement, substance abuse later in life or can cause what’s known as toxic stress. 1 in 3 diagnosed mental health conditions in adulthood directly relate to ACE’s.
Therapy helps to prevent and reduce the negative impact of childhood adversity and trauma, to support the individual to recognise and manage different emotions, to build the capacity to make and keep healthy relationships, to develop self-control and maintain positive reinforced behaviour.