Trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD) complicate the personal lives of those who experience it. Some battle constant anxiety and fear. Others struggle with avoidance. They work very hard to ensure that they do not encounter any reminders in the everyday lives of their trauma. However, one issue that does affect suffers of PTSD is emotional numbing. It’s another way that people with trauma have found to cope on a day-to-day basis. Yet, emotional numbing has the opposite effect and can make both PTSD and CPTSD worse. If you have been through trauma and are struggling with PTSD, here’s [...]

Do you know the signs of narcissistic abuse?    You know that your partner isn't treating you well. Their ego, arrogance, and, subtle jabs, and angry outbursts are just too much. Are their actions due to simply bad behavior, or something else? It may be that your partner is a narcissist. And you could be stuck in what's referred to as "the narcissistic abuse cycle". Narcissistic behavior, on the whole, is not conducive to a meaningful, loving, and equal relationship. That’s because, when it comes to narcissism, it’s the narcissist who puts themselves first. The result? Their partner and the relationship [...]

What is learned helplessness? Perhaps you’ve had a goal for years now to stop smoking. It’s something that you’re very conscious of and how the risks of smoking threaten your health. But, no matter which program you try, nothing seems to work. Even if you get down to one cigarette a day, you still are smoking. So, what happens? You give up and throw your hands up in the air in frustration. You start to believe that it's futile to try to change. And, you keep smoking. This pattern is called learned helplessness and smoking is just one of many learned [...]

What are the 10 ACEs of Trauma? Well, you know that you experienced some pretty difficult events during your childhood. However, you may have thought that as an adult you had moved past them. But deep down inside you know this isn't true. That's because early life stresses change you on the inside. For instance, perhaps you can’t bear to think about the times when you suffered and no one helped. Maybe you told them, but your parents didn’t listen. Or, maybe you saw one of your parents handcuffed and arrested. These potentially traumatic experiences are referred to as ACEs, or [...]

This past year, you may have found that managing stress at work has been no easy feat. The pandemic has been a stressful experience no matter who you are. But if you are a frontline worker, then you have seen the brunt of the pandemic up close. This is true whether you have been working in a healthcare facility or at a grocery store. Also, as many organizations contemplate returning to the office, employees may also be experiencing stress as well. Managing stress at work has always been a challenge. But EMDR therapy can help. Even if you are not at [...]

When you consider signs of trauma, what do you think of? It’s easy to imagine someone curled up in a ball, paralyzed with fear. But that is more of a stereotype than reality. Yes, the fear response is certainly one trauma symptom and does play a significant role. Yet, there are many signs of trauma that are more subtle and not nearly so obvious. In fact, you can be struggling with the effects of trauma without even realizing that they are occurring. Or, you might notice something is off, but associate the symptoms with another emotional problem. That’s an issue because [...]

The coronavirus pandemic has certainly brought up a range of emotions for all of us. However, for some people, COVID actually triggers past trauma. When the pandemic started, there was the fear of an unknown infection and its ill effects. Now, there is also hope for the future and the promise of vaccines. Still, even if you thought that you had settled your past, COVID may have brought up new issues that you didn’t even realize. Although it’s troubling, this may actually be the best time to treat the unresolved pain. Here’s how you can safely face and worth through it [...]

You’ve been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder or C-PTSD. Things have been going well in therapy and you’re beginning to understand what it is and how C-PTSD affects you. Now, you’re wondering how to explain complex PTSD to others, especially your friends and family. This isn’t just to satisfy their curiosity.  Having people who care about your wellbeing is important as you work towards recovering from C-PTSD. Yet, it's not easy explaining this issue and how it has impacted your life. Understanding complex PTSD can challenge both survivors and their loved ones. Here are seven everyday ways to explain complex [...]

EMDR therapy online? What would that be like? Consider this; so much of our lives have now moved to online spaces. For many of us, this includes work, but also entertainment and even exercise (anyone up for a Zoom workout class?). Naturally, it makes sense that therapists have transitioned to virtual treatment methods for their clients as well. Standard “talk therapy” sessions are common. But what if you were receiving treatment using eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, or EMDR? It turns out that EMDR therapy online is still effective for helping people resolve issues such as past trauma. Here’s how EMDR therapy [...]