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A
book on psychotherapy (written for traumatized individuals, but illustrative to clinicians)
Within the
Heart
of PTSD:
Amazing Stories of Gentle Psychotherapy
and Full Trauma Recovery
(free e-book)
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As a victim, you need to know that ...
 | After a traumatic event, you may be forgetting
the most important thing: YOURSELF.
| As the traumatic event took place, you did everything you could to prevent the worst.
After that, you tried to resume your life. But has it resumed its normal course? |
| Unforeseen difficulties might be developing behind what seems to be a controlled
situation. The most important thing isn't anymore to remain alive. It's to be able to live
normally. |
| Like most people you may think that a robbery, an assault, or a severe accident is
simply part of life or the job. Or to be witnessing a horrible scene is only a bad moment
to go through. With a little bit of patience, everything should return to normal. |
|
Everyday we are exposed to images of violence which become more and more trivial. It is,
therefore, difficult to imagine the impact that a traumatic event can have. Nonetheless...
|
|
Ordinary people have extraordinary
reactions to extraordinary events,
which even happens
to people trained to face this type of situation.
| For
1 out of 4 victims, a traumatic event may lead to
a psychological trauma,
or PTSD.
| A shock : "When it happened, I had the
impression that it wasn't real; it wasn't happening." Victim
of assault |
| Re-experiencing : "I wasn't able to get it out
of my mind. I was having nightmares." Victim of fire |
| Avoiding the event : "After the assault, I was
foggy. I couldn't feel a thing. I tried not to think about it, and avoided anything that
could remind me of it." Witness of assault |
| Disorientation : "After having been raped, I
had trouble concentrating and sleeping. I was crying for nothing." Victim of sexual assault |
| Helplessness : "I couldn't avoid the accident.
Afterwards I had the impression that I had lost control of my life." Victim of accident |
| Fear : "During the robbery, I was terrified
like I've never been before. After the robbery, I never went out alone again and I had the
impression that I was constantly being watched." Victim
of armed robbery |
|
Anger : "It's not fair. I want to hurt him like
he hurt me. I don't know what to do with my anger." Victim of accident due to
negligence. |
|
| If you have some of
the following reactions for a period of one week to a month, you might need specialized
help, without delay.
| Thinking about the event in an involuntary and repetitive fashion. |
| Becoming troubled, even physically, when reminded of the event. |
| Avoiding what reminds you of the event. |
| Feeling agitated or nervous. |
| Having problems sleeping. |
| Having difficulties concentrating. |
| Being less interested in work or hobbies. |
| Feeling cut off from others. |
| Having become irritable, or need to control yourself for not becoming so. |
| Feeling guilty, humiliated, or confused. |
|
Taking alcohol or drugs to ease your pain. |
|
| By getting
help, you might be able to
resume a normal life.
| Be relieved of symptoms. |
| Shorten the duration of these symptoms. |
| Avoid serious physical and psychological complications. |
| Avoid interpersonal and familial problems. |
|
Keep your job, although you might need to stop working temporarily. |
|
| After a traumatic
event, it is tempting to ...
| Want to turn the page: Even if you have experienced
a traumatic event, you need to keep on with your life. Too often people simply want to
turn the page. But turning the page often means not fully living one's life. |
| Let time do its work: To tell yourself that
"time will erase everything" might be a mistake. Half of the time, a
psychological trauma left unattended leads to complications instead of disappearing. |
| Want to forget: Such events cannot usually be
forgotten. To recall a traumatic event can be painful; all victims agree on this. However,
by understanding its impact on yourself, you might be able to put it in the past where it
belongs. |
| Persist in hiding one's reactions: A traumatic event
might put an individual into a state of disequilibrium. It is often difficult, if not
sometimes impossible, to reestablish one's balance alone. Just as for a heart attack,
special care might be needed to function normally again. |
|
But for everyday a
trauma is ignored, its root grows deeper.
Contrary to popular belief, time might not be
your best ally. Studies have shown that traumatized individuals who
consult rapidly, get better sooner and have less complications.
So why wait?
Director
Clinicians
Services
Info
Contact
TRAUMATYS :
1-844-633-3326
(toll free)
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[email protected]
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