The Best Post Traumatic Counselling for PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition commonly associated with survivors of war. However, it can affect anyone who has experienced or witnessed any event that is experienced by the individual as traumatic. Such events include, and are not limited to, natural disasters, accidents, terrorist acts, rape, death threats, sexual violence, illness or injury.
Undoubtedly, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious diagnosis and many people suffer from it. It can occur in people of any ethnicity, nationality, or culture, and at any age. The distinguishing feature for someone who develops PTSD from a traumatic event is that their resources to respond and cope were overwhelmed. In Canada, 76% report having experienced a traumatic event in their life and 8% will experience PTSD in their lifetime (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2013). Some groups are at higher risk of PTSD and with the changing global environment, Canada may see an increase in PTSD diagnoses with people from certain occupations such as healthcare workers, women, refugees, and Aboriginal peoples.
After exposure to a traumatic event, it is common to feel a myriad of confusing emotions such as stress, anger, anxiety, or fear and to react differently to situations. These responses do not always precede the development of PTSD from a traumatic experience. However, it is important to be able to recognize when a traumatic exposure is causing prolonged symptoms indicative of PTSD.
Common symptoms presented in PTSD include recurring thoughts, flashbacks, or nightmares about the event, changes in sleep patterns or appetite, anxiety and fear, hypervigilance or hyperarousal, feelings of despair or hopelessness, memory problems, difficulty focusing, irritability or agitation, anger or resentment, guilt, withdrawal or emotional numbness, avoidance of stimuli related to the event, and other physical health problems.
There are many different treatment options for PTSD. Post Traumatic Counselling can include a variety of therapy modalities to support an individual in learning how to cope and safely reprocess the trauma. Professional therapists are trained in the best evidence-based treatments to help address the psychological and neurological foundations of the problem. Certain kinds of talk therapy, neurofeedback, Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) are some beneficial modalities of therapy for the treatment of PTSD. In addition, exercise therapy, relaxation, meditation, swimming, music, and art therapy can also be supportive for individuals struggling with PTSD.
Living with PTSD can be disruptive to many areas of an individual’s life and well-being. It can lead to other mental and physical health issues such as depression and substance use disorders. Seeking Post Traumatic Counselling is an investment into a life of resilience and living in the present.
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