PTSD can occur after experiencing any traumatic event. Some of the events are are severe, or Acute, but only occur only once like getting mugged, or experiencing a tornado. Other events are enduring, like childhood verbal, sexual or physical abuse.
Some people can remember all of the details leading up to the event, but may have forgotten the specific incident itself.
Your subconscious mind may be giving you brutal reminders through nightmares and flashbacks (experiencing a moment where your body is remembering the event, but you can only envision pieces). Others may remember every single moment. Every day they are tortured by the feelings, pictures in their heads, and the physical sensations of the event or the fear and panic of trying to survive or escape.
It doesn’t matter if your trauma was from a singular event, or from many years of abuse. PTSD is treatable.
Everyone experiences PTSD in different ways. Some people’s experiences are more severe and they are terrified to leave the safety of their homes or return to any location that looks or feels familiar to where the incident occurred.
If you have experienced a shorter duration of trauma, you may not be experiencing all the symptoms of PTSD but you still are struggling with some things. I’ve worked with individuals with what I call “Work PTSD” because they were in a job that traumatized them-not physically or sexually, but the stress overwhelmed them and they had severe physical symptoms while at the job and then later.
Here is a list of specific symptoms that individuals with PTSD report experiencing. You may not be feeling all of them now, but many may be familiar to you depending on where you are in your healing.
PTSD is a NORMAL Reaction to an ABNORMAL Experience
Since everyone is unique, everyone’s experience and reaction to trauma is different. Some of you have learned to dissociate – emotionally “checking out” when the abuse occurred. When you think back on the incident your point of view is from a safe distance, perhaps from the corner of a room looking down, or from a place physically above the event.
Even after going through therapy, it is not uncommon for patients to have events that “trigger” a negative reaction from the PTSD. A trigger can be experienced emotionally or physically.
Some individuals will walk past a building where they were assaulted and suddenly feel nauseated, often without realizing they had returned to the site of their trauma.
Others have reported they suddenly feel someone touching them, when no one is there. Or have feelings of dread or terror for no reason. These events are often triggered by the environment. You walk through a mall and see someone that wears a jacket that you associate with your attack.
It’s similar to Vets who come back and startle when they hear a car backfire. Their mind hears the sound, associates it with the war and their body reacts without pause.
If a woman was raped or sexually abused having an annual pap smear with an OB/GYN can re-traumatize them if they aren’t prepared. If your OB/Gyn forgets that you were assaulted the exam can be traumatic because you may become frightened or paralyzed and have to tell your story all over again!
With my patients I call their doctors before appointments that they are stressed about and remind them that our patient was assaulted and has PTSD. Before the appointment we can use relaxation techniques such as Hypnosis and Mindfulness Meditation to help them before they are in a situation that may trigger their trauma.The exercises we practice help them to be able to handle a stressful situation that may cause a trigger.
You have been traumatized. You have been victimized – which is different than playing a victim. You didn’t cause this event to happen. And the strange things your body is doing are a normal reaction to a very abnormal event.Accepting that you aren’t sick or crazy is our first step.
The most important thing to remember is that whatever happened to you was not your fault.
The second treatise is that in therapy you have the ability to say STOP and NO. If we are working on anything and you feel overwhelmed you can use your words, or if you are unable I have you just raise your hand. Everything will stop. And we will wait until you are feeling safer to continue. Therapy should not in itself be a trigger!
In therapy for PTSD it is vital to help you remember the trauma without reliving it with all the feelings. This is where using Hypnotic techniques to keep you emotionally safe is vital.
Some of you have already seen other therapists or medical professionals but are still struggling with anxiety. You may still have occasional nightmares, and swing between feeling angry, frightened or numb. Often the physical body tends to not so gently remind you that you are still struggling by giving you headaches, general physical pain, or depression.
During therapy we try to examine and reduce the emotional impact of your memory, or things that trigger FEELINGS from the memory. By using talk therapy, Hypnosis and Guided Imagery exercises I can help you get control over the flashbacks, and decrease your anxiety.
I have worked with many individuals with PTSD for the majority of my career. Some individuals, depending on the severity and length of the abuse, are only occasionally distressed by these memories. Others find that when they start to remember, the flashbacks and nightmares can be overwhelming. I will show you techniques to help you when you have stressful times in your life that cause you to re-experience these powerful negative feelings.
By addressing the problems through therapy, hypnosis, meditation, art therapy, and journaling we can stop the cycle of abuse that is being replaying in your mind.
The statistics suggest that 1 in 6 men have been sexually assaulted or abused. Whether it is an isolated incident in school or repeated inappropriate touching throughout childhood.
One in Six men have been sexually abused.
Any inappropriate touch is one too many, but so often men won’t talk about the abuse, so they don’t get help. They experience the same issues as women in terms of shame, fear that no one will believe them, denial – but many boys and men will question their sexual orientation, especially if they ejaculated during the assault. Orgasm occurs in both men and women/boys and girls when physical stimulation occurs. It is a physiological response you can’t control. It doesn’t mean you wanted it, no matter what the perpetrator said to you.
When a man has been sexually assaulted and doesn’t receive treatment he is more likely to struggle with alcoholism or drug addiction, have difficulty in school or work situations, and struggle in intimate relationships.
If you are a man, and are unsure if you have been sexually abused, but have a sick feeling in your gut that this may be part of your history, check my site for therapy options and then go to the 1 in 6 Website for information and stories. Both websites will help you understand you are not alone. Then consider contacting me and let’s start to work through your shame, anger and rage. Recovery can happens. I see it every day.
