Trauma
Identifying Trauma: Navigating the Wounds of Life
What Exactly is Trauma?
Trauma – defined as a painful experience that exceeds our psychological capacity to manage it – creates lasting emotional, physiological and psychological damage. The essence of trauma involves experiences or sequences of experiences that disrupt our basic feelings of safety, so we then contend with enduring mental, emotional, and bodily consequences. Trauma pushes us into survival mode, and we are then often left with that enduring response to situations, even when they are no longer traumatic. Traumatic experiences surpass our typical stress management abilities and therefore activate the neurological mechanisms for fight, flight, or freeze. Our brain produces the protective reaction, but later produces persistent anxiety as well as emotional numbness and distressing recurring memories. Trauma causes unseen scars, but humans feel them profoundly.
Different Forms of Trauma
Trauma exists in various types and produces distinct impacts on human life. One severe, distressing situation constitutes acute trauma. Examples of these events include car accidents, sexual assaults, and sudden losses. Although the period of the traumatic experience remains short, the emotional impact it creates might result in deep and extended suffering. Complex trauma occurs because of recurring adverse experiences. Continuous exposure to adverse events, including domestic violence, persistent bullying, or emotionally abusive caregivers, leads to the destruction of individuals’ sense of safety and their ability to maintain stability. Secondary trauma can also occur without undergoing direct experiences of trauma. Secondary trauma symptoms affect certain groups, including emergency service personnel and medical professionals, as well as close friends and relatives who witness others’ emotional distress. Being exposed to the traumatic situations of others through vicarious means may result in feelings of helplessness and emotional exhaustion.
The Impact of Trauma on Daily Life
Trauma produces different results in different people; however, some reactions are more common. People who experience trauma often develop overwhelming shock and fear with added confusion that emerges rapidly after the traumatic experience. Also, brief post-traumatic emotions can turn into long-lasting medical issues such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. On a physiological level, the body can produce persistent headaches, weakened immune responses, fatigue and gastrointestinal problems because mental health is directly linked to physical health systems. Trauma can also create relationship instability because the emotional separation or distrust from others interferes with our ability to bond with people.
Pathways to Healing
At Brooklyn North, we are passionate about helping clients regain their sense of safety and ability to fully engage in their lives after traumatic experiences. We utilize EMDR, talk therapy, and art therapy to treat trauma. Talk and art therapy can be seen as akin to physical therapy treatment for a physical health issue in that they work on a slow, gentle path to rebuild your sense of safety in the world and with others. EMDR is, therefore, akin to surgery, in that it is a faster and more direct approach to working through deeply ingrained traumatic memories and associated thoughts and feelings. Please see our pages about EMDR, art therapy and talk therapy to learn more about these treatment modalities.
Choosing a Better Future
The persistent damage that trauma can inflict does not establish limits on what lies ahead for you. Although the process can be arduous at times, each step toward healing is a step towards recovering your life. Change is possible, even if your scars seem too deep to repair, and we are here to support you in that journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
How would you describe Adrienne’s style as a therapist?
Adrienne’s style of therapy feels personalized and adaptive to what the situation calls for.Compassionate, adaptive,non judgmental She’s best! I feel heard and understood and I learn about myself every session. I love how the art is so well integrated and feels meaningful and intentional as well. She stays on topic and is great at remembering to bring relevant things up for previous sessions! Empathetic, deeply kind, understanding, grounded. She has a way of seeing the forest through the trees.
What areas of your life has Adrienne helped you with?
personal value/self image, anxiety, family problems relationship challenges, unblocking creativity, self-compassion Managing my adhd/anxiety/depression as well as helping process childhood trauma and learning more about myself and how to do better moving forward Work, family relationships, my health and relationship to food, very difficult breakups, finding love, my self confidence, and my view of myself
How has your overall experience working with Adrienne as a therapist been?
Informative and progressive in ways I didn’t have with previous therapists. I can actually feel myself progressing and getting better.incredible, I’ve found my soul-therapist in Adrienne. amazing, I look forward to every session! Adrienne is an incredible therapist. I have worked with her for about 5 years now. She has taken me through many difficult transitions. When I wasn’t strong enough to do so myself, she saved my life. Now she has given me the toolset to save it myself if I needed.
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