Trauma Therapy
If your mental well-being hasn’t yet improved as much as you hoped after trauma, you are not alone!
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Trauma isn’t just about war and car crashes.
More than two thirds of adults report experiencing at least one traumatic event prior to the age of 16. Additionally, nearly all mental health and substance abuse disorders include trauma as a risk factor.
After surviving peril or extreme distress, many trauma survivors continue to struggle with disturbing thoughts and feelings of isolation, fear, anger, and sadness for months or years after the traumatic event is over.
If you discover you may need trauma counselling, sessions with an online trauma therapist are effective, accessible, and affordable.
Childhood Trauma
Experiencing childhood trauma is one of the leading causes of behavioral health and substance use disorders in adults. Neglect, witnessing domestic violence, national disasters, loss of a parent, and all types of abuse — psychological, emotional, sexual, and physical — are examples of childhood trauma. The after-effects of trauma that you experience later in life may depend on your age when the trauma occurred.
Trauma in Adulthood
Some of the causes of trauma in adulthood are similar to those in childhood trauma, meaning that treatment options are similar. For adults, The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies also includes financial stressors, serious vehicle accidents, medical complications, and witnessing or experiencing any type of violence as sources of trauma. The physical signs of adulthood trauma can include anxiety, emotional outbursts, depression, panic attacks, and anger management difficulties.
Trauma Informed Therapy
What is trauma informed therapy, and how does it differ from standard therapy approaches? Therapy informed by trauma centers on the philosophical approach which assumes every person has experienced trauma in their life-time. Trauma-informed therapy carries six principles designed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to specifically respond to public health emergencies such as a global pandemic — trauma safety awareness, enhanced trustworthiness and transparency, specialized peer support, increased collaboration and mutuality, and building empowerment, voice, and choice to create safe spaces. Trauma informed care can be applied to all levels and types of medical care.
Common Signs of Unresolved Trauma in Adulthood
Many people enter treatment with only a rudimentary understanding of their trauma history. Some of the following symptoms will be present when people start therapy, although they may not recognise they are common signs of unresolved trauma issues.
Addictive behaviours
Excessive use of drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, and gambling as a strategy to push painful feelings and disturbing trauma content further away are all examples of addictive behaviours.
Inability to tolerate conflicts
Fear of conflict, running away from confrontation, avoiding conflict, and preserving skewed perceptions of conflict are all examples of incapacity to accept disputes with others.
Inability to tolerate intense feelings
An inability to withstand strong emotions, preferring to escape them in various ways.
Innate belief that they are bad
They have an intrinsic belief that they are bad, useless, and unimportant.
Black and white thinking
Even if this method causes them harm, black and white thinking, all or nothing thinking.
Disorganised attachment patterns
Having a range of short but intense relationships, refusing to have any connections, destructive relationships, and repeated love/hate relationships are all examples of disorganised attachment patterns.
Dissociation
Dissociation, spacing out, losing track of time, missing time, and the sensation of being two separate persons are all symptoms of dissociation (or more than two).
Eating Disorders
Anorexia, bulimia, obesity, and other eating disorders.
Excessive Sense of Self-Blame
Taking on excessive responsibility as though everything is their fault and apologising excessively.
If you're experiencing several of the symptoms listed above, consider whether you're ready to confront your trauma issues with the help of a caring therapist.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A trauma bond is a co-dependant relationship between an abuser and their victim. The victim may become attached and develop sympathy or affection for the abuser and even rationalize the actions of their abuser. Another form is vicarious trauma. This type of trauma bonding happens to people working in allied health professions due to continuous exposure to violence through responding to the scene of traumatic events and counselling trauma victims.
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The physical signs of repressed childhood trauma in adults can include relationship and interpersonal issues (also known in psychology as “attachment issues”), consistent exhaustion, mood swings, and unexplained adverse reactions to certain people or places.
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Gone untreated, childhood trauma and adulthood trauma can lead to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, substance misuse, and suicide.
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Yes! In fact, in some cases, PTSD is preventable by seeking trauma therapy immediately after a traumatic event. But, if PTSD is left untreated, the long-term effects of PTSD can be extremely damaging.
Common PTSD treatment options are:
Prolonged Exposure CBT
Narrative Exposure Therapy
EMDR Therapy
Medications
Fettle’s qualified trauma counsellors are ready to help you figure out the best ways to manage your trauma responses and start feeling better.
The Effects of Unresolved Trauma
Unresolved trauma can significantly negatively influence one's health, but just because someone has experienced a terrible incident in the past does not mean they will require treatment.
Unresolved trauma puts people at risk for mental health illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Physical indications include cardiovascular issues such as high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks. According to a study, unresolved trauma has been linked to fibromyalgia and general inflammation in the body, which can lead to autoimmune illnesses and organ fibrosis. Unresolved trauma has also been linked to obesity and cancer. Finally, unresolved trauma increases the likelihood of developing a substance use disorder because substance use is frequently begun or exacerbated following trauma.
Survivors who are already in therapy can have the same symptoms. Regular therapy attendance does not imply that clients have overcome their trauma issues or are going in that direction. Even though they are aware of their everyday challenges, many treatment clients will continue to reject, detach, and refuse to look at their trauma.
How Online therapy can Help with Trauma
Online therapy in the UK is a fantastic, simple, accessible, and flexible option to get trauma treatment on your own time and in the comfort of your own home. You might not want to leave your house some days. It's also inconvenient to commute to a therapy appointment and wait in a waiting area. As a result, you put off going to therapy, and your PTSD symptoms worsen.
Other Types of Therapy in the UK
Therapy for Bereavement
Being in a state of bereavement means experiencing the loss of a loved one. This season is often referred to as grief. Though often a crippling season for everyone it can be combated with therapy for bereavement.
Therapy for bereavement is the intervention or psychological technique used to go through the stages of grief and develop coping skills throughout the period.
Therapy approaches for bereavement include:
Cognitive behavioural treatment
Attachment theory
Interpersonal therapy
Therapy for CBT
Cognitive behavioural therapy or therapy for CBT is one of the most effective psychotherapy types for a variety of mental health issues faced.
Therapy for CBT incorporates a variety of techniques including:
Positive cognitive conditioning
Journaling
Exposure therapy
Deep breathing and meditation
Meet Fettle’s Trusted Online Counsellors!
Our qualified psychotherapists are ready to help you work through your trauma.
Click through to read a therapist’s bio or to book a session.
