Trauma, PTSD and trauma-informed PTSD treatment

People who are exposed to situations that are life-threatening in some way (e.g., indirect or direct exposure to death, threats of death, serious bodily injury or sexual assault) can experience the following types of PTSD reactions/symptoms after the event or trauma.  Sometimes these reactions occur later and are referred to by psychologists as a ‘delayed onset’  PTSD:

1) Reliving or intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares of the trauma event. Or Emotional and Physical reactivity (such as sudden anxiety or panic symptoms) when remembering or when exposed to cues (e.g., sights, sounds, sensations, smells) that are similar in some way to the event or trauma. We call these 'intruision symptoms.

2) Strong or persistent avoidance of the memories or cues/triggers that remind you of past trauma events. These can include people, places, things, conversations, memories etc.

3) Alterations in Cognitions and Mood such as: an inability to recall an important part of the trauma event, development or worsening of negative beliefs about oneself or others, self-blame or guilt related to the trauma event or how the event impacted them, persistent strong negative feelings such as anger, sadness, anxiety, guilt or shame, loss of interest in activities or socializing, feeling more detached from others, and numbness or difficulty experiencing positive feelings.

4) Nervous system changes (referred to as alterations in arousal & reactivity) such as increased irritability or anger, reckless behavior, being on guard, being more easily startled, difficulties concentrating and disrupted sleep.

☝️These are all Posttraumatic Stress symptoms but to develop an actual clinical diagnosis of PTSD after trauma you have to have a certain number of symptoms from each of the 4 categories above for at least a month or longer. 

A psychologist can help make this determination through an assessment or during trauma counselling.

For diagnostic purposes psychologists use something called “DSM 5”. Whether you meet full criteria for PTSD or just have some symptoms of PTSD if your symptoms cause suffering to some extent then a similar treatment approach will be utilized in therapy or counselling to help you heal and recover.

If you have any questions about your symptoms or think you might benefit from an assessment and diagnosis from a psychologist please ask us.  We are available in Hamilton Ontario, and online across Ontario.

Remember we are here to help you understand yourself better and how trauma has affected you. We also aim to help you make changes that will help you heal or recover during PTSD treatment!

For  more  information  and  resources  on  PTSD  we  recommend  the  PTSD  Association  of  Canada.