treating trauma
"While there is life, there is hope." -Terence, 163 BC
The word Trauma is a late 17th century Greek word that literally means wound. While most people can figure out how to patch up an actual wound, only a trauma therapist can recognize the many different types of trauma that exist, and can identify and treat the many associated symptoms.
A trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that causes many equally disturbing symptoms.
Trauma occurs when one experiences or witnesses something that the mind or psyche cannot handle. Examples include violent assault, sexual molestation, severe illness or injury. Getting bullied. The loss of a child, parent, or friend. Kidnapping. Being in a cult. Fighting in a war. Divorce. Witnessing a single murder or a mass terrorist attack. A school shooting. A natural disaster. A dog bite.
I have treated all of these types of trauma in children and adults. The most common is sexual abuse – whether it is incest, date rape, stranger rape. My expert testimony in court has helped put many offenders in prison.
Symptoms of trauma include flashbacks, anxiety and panic, disorientation or dissociation (“losing time”). Self-harm (cutting, picking, burning oneself). Depression. Inability to talk. Eating or sleeping too little or too much. Shock. Fear of going out. I have developed a line of Creative Tools using art and words that treat these symptoms effectively. The results have been outstanding.
