Have you experienced a traumatic event? Are you suffering from lingering fear and anxiety? Do you feel like you no longer have control over how you think, feel, and behave?

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),  is a mental health challenge that may occur in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, an act of war, a serious accident, or violent crime.

It is believed that PTSD affects nearly four percent of the U.S. adult population. While it is usually linked with veterans who’ve experienced combat, PTSD can be experienced by anyone, regardless of age, race, nationality, or culture. In fact, women are twice as likely to experience PTSD than men.

It's important to note that people respond to trauma differently, and not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop long-term psychological difficulties. However, for those who do, seeking support from an experienced mental health professional can be helpful in processing the trauma and developing coping strategies to manage its effects.

Trauma can have a profound and lasting impact on a person's mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Symptoms of trauma can include flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness, hyperarousal (being easily startled or feeling constantly on edge), avoidance of reminders of the traumatic event, difficulties with concentration and memory, and changes in mood or behavior.

What are the Symptoms of PTSD?

People with PTSD often experience intense thoughts and feelings related to their traumatic experiences. These can last for a long time after the initial event. Many people with PTSD also relive the event through flashbacks and nightmares.

PTSD symptoms may include intense emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, and detachment from friends, family, and community members. They often avoid people and situations that remind them of the traumatic event. Ordinary sounds or incidents such as a door banging or accidental touch in a crowd may cause a strong and uncontrollable reaction.

How Can Treatment Help?

There are a variety of treatments that can be used to treat PTSD. However, there are three specific techniques that are consistently gaining research-based evidence of their effectiveness in successfully treating PTSD.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - CBT is a form of talk therapy that focuses on how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interrelated. The goal of CBT is to help you return to a place of hope with a greater sense of control of your thoughts, behaviors, and responses.
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) - EMDR is a technique that uses bilateral sensory input, such as side-to-side eye movements, to stimulate the brain to process difficult thoughts, memories, and emotions.

If you or a loved one suffers from PTSD or any other type of trauma, please reach out. Using evidence-based therapeutic techniques, such as CBT and EMDR, I have helped many people, just like you, heal from the negative impact of trauma. I have also personally seen an amazing transformation through therapy and want to offer the help you need to enjoy life again.