Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, develops when a person has either witnessed or been involved in an event that was either chronic or acute that caused injury, physically or emotionally to themselves or another person. It could be sexual or violent, an accident or merely the threat of something horrific. It could be something a lot less dramatic but unique to you that causes you to have one or more of the following behaviors that last longer than one month:
- Hypervigilence or protectiveness reactively to a similar subject or event
- Strong reaction to an unrelated event because it reminds you of the unresolved traumatic memory
- Flashbacks that reoccur and are intrusive
- Distressing dreams
- A fear that you are reliving the experience, hallucinating or dissociating
You may find that, over time, you no longer exhibit these attributes, until someone or something evokes a memory and your reaction is overstated and surprises even you. Irritability and angry outbursts are not uncommon as you seek to avoid confronting the memory or even the place that it occurred.
You may find yourself limiting your emotional range as to avoid unwanted responses from yourself or others. You may find yourself having difficulty relaxing or concentrating, or seeking ways to numb yourself emotionally through drugs, alcohol use or abuse.
It’s not uncommon for someone suffering from this malady to fear that they have a “foreshortened future”, meaning they can’t see themselves becoming a parent, getting married or holding a job. Or they limit their activities for fear they won’t be able to fully enjoy them anyway. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is what I typically use to diminish your symptoms of emotional pain and trauma.
I often hear my clients report that from doing EMDR they:
- Notice they are not as agitated as they used to be
- They find that people might have once said that they had a short fuse but that is no longer the case
- They often observe that they feel lighter and more at ease
- They express that they feel happier when happy and more relaxed when relaxing
- It’s not uncommon for my clients to report that they are sleeping better and are noticing that they are no longer “paranoid” of things that frightened them before
- Panick Attacks disappear as self-reported on their diary card
Why delay calling me? The sooner you do the sooner you’ll experienced what some of my clients refer to as a lightened feeling. Like they can feel a load has been lifted. The trauma therapy I do is known as EMDR. But I also have a protocol for those experiencing dissociation. Either way I know how to help you and remove emotional obstacles that may have been preventing you from living a more complete and fulfilling life. One that you deserve!
Call me for your free 15 minute consultation to see if I am right for you on 303.269.1191 or use my online appointment scheduler below to schedule your appointment now!
