Trauma is something that many people face in their day-to-day lives. It can make it hard to maintain relationships, jobs, and other things like hobbies. Trauma is caused by an event that causes moderate to severe stress reactions. A more common form of trauma is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many military personnel suffer from PTSD, but it is not limited to only the military. Many traumatic events can cause PTSD, but the good news is that some things can be done about it.
1. Therapy
One of the most common treatments for trauma is therapy. Therapy for trauma is primarily cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of therapy is designed to change the thought patterns that disrupt your life. CBT is retraining your brain to think differently. In these sessions, you are most likely to talk through your trauma, get to the root of the problem, and process what you’ve been through while also concentrating solely on the source of the problem.
Another type of therapy is prolonged exposure therapy, which involves breathing techniques and making a list of the things you have avoided and how to face them. Many patients find success when they choose to do therapy with their trauma.
2. Medications
Medication is a great way to get to feeling your best again and is available for trauma and many other mental illnesses. Brains affected by trauma process “threats” differently because all the neurotransmitters are out of whack. You may feel on-edge because your fight or flight has been triggered because of your trauma.
Medication can help you stop thinking about or reacting to the trauma, including nightmares and flashbacks. With the best online pharmacy, you can have medications delivered to your door. Doctors may prescribe medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) so that you can get back to living a “normal” life without experiencing the negative impacts of trauma.
3. EMDR
EMDR therapy stands for eye movement desensitizing and reprocessing. This type of therapy involves watching a moving object like a hand or flashlight while thinking of your trauma. This therapy technique aims to concentrate on the trauma while thinking of something positive. As a result, you’ll have retrained your brain by the end of these sessions.
Diagnosing Trauma
Experiencing trauma and being diagnosed with PTSD can be a challenging experience. This diagnosis comes from a few different exams. The first is a physical exam by your regular doctor. This exam is to ensure that there are no underlying medical conditions that could be causing your symptoms. Next, you will meet with a psychologist to talk about your symptoms and the experiences you’ve had. This psychologist will use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM) to formally diagnose your trauma so you can receive the help you need.
There are four main types of trauma that you can experience. The first is trauma that you experienced trauma firsthand. This firsthand experience can be anytime in your life, from childhood to adulthood. Second, you could have witnessed trauma happening to someone close to you. The third way is that you learned someone close to you experienced or witnessed a traumatic event that may trigger trauma in yourself. Finally, you could have seen the trauma of others, which is common in many professions, such as first responders.
Getting Help
The critical thing to remember about trauma is that there is help available. While it may feel lonely at the time of diagnosis, millions of people across the world witness and experience trauma every day. The key factor is to get help. This help can be by receiving different therapy treatments or medications to help ease the symptoms.