Trauma and disassociation:
Trauma & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are both generic labels for an unforeseen traumatic event that has occurred in a person’s life.
A traumatic event is an emotional shock where a person cannot easily immediately process what has happened, the implications of what has happened, and / or come to terms with it. After a traumatic experience is is normal to experience unpleasant feelings, emotions, and bodily sensations. We are all different and sometimes these feelings can come to the fore earlier or later, to a lesser or greater extent; depending upon your pre-disposition. Generally some of the symptoms of PTSD are fear & anxiety, depression or feeling low, re-experiencing and remembering visually, physical arousal, avoidance, difficulty concentrating, sensing a loss of control, guilt, shame and anger, unable to function and move forward.
“Dissociation is also referred to in the account of acute stress disorders and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”.
(The following has been taken from, Shorter Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry Part, (2001), Michael Gelder, Richard Mayou, Philip Cowen, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, pg195)
“This term denotes an intense, prolonged, and sometimes delayed reaction to an intensely stressful event.
The essential features of a post-traumatic stress reaction are hyper-arousal, re-experiencing of aspects of the stressful events, and avoidance of reminders. Examples of extreme stressors that may cause this disorder are natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, man-made calamities such as major fires, serious transport accidents, or the circumstances of war, and rape or serious physical assault on the person.
The original concept of post-traumatic stress disorder was of a reaction to such an extreme stressor that any person would be affected. Epidemiological studies have shown that not everyone exposed to the same extreme stressor develops post-traumatic stress disorder; hence personal predisposition plays a part. In many disasters the victims suffer not only psychological distress but also physical injury, which may increase the likelihood of a post-traumatic stress disorder.
Table 8.3 The principal symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder:
Hyperarousal
Persistent anxiety
Irritability
Insomnia
Poor concentration
Intrusions
Difficulty in recalling stressful events at will
Intense intrusive imagery (‘flash backs’)
Recurrent distressing dreams
Avoidance
Avoidance of reminders of the events
Detachment
Inability to feel emotional (‘numbness’)
Diminished interest in activities”
(The above has been taken from, Shorter Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry Part, (2001), Michael Gelder, Richard Mayou, Philip Cowen, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, pg195)
If you are experiencing what sounds like the above then call me to discuss further on 07950 906421 or 07704 445944.