Trauma Therapy in
Baltimore & Rockville
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is an event, or a series of experiences, that are deeply distressing or disturbing. Traumatic events can be a one time occurrence such as a car accident.
Or they can be a complex chain of experiences, like growing up in an abusive home. Emotional trauma can be difficult to identify at times and can present with similar symptoms to other mental health conditions. In many situations, the only differentiating factor is that the trauma occurred.
The emotional storm that results from trauma is hard to put into words. Whether you feel overwhelmed, sad, or anxious, trauma can leave you feeling disconnected from reality, distracted and confused.
A traumatic experience can make it hard to stay present, live in the moment or even heal from the difficult memories. Therapy helps people heal from their trauma. It may seem impossible but with the right support it can be better.
How Therapy Helps With Trauma
The therapists at the Center for Intimacy, Connection and Change (CICC) help people develop skills to make living more manageable. As day to day living improves you and your therapist work together to process the traumatic memories and feelings. The environment is supportive and collaborative. It is structured in a way to help you advance your goals without becoming overwhelming.
Common Traumatic Experiences
Sudden death
Victim of a violent crime
Loss of a relationship
Combat
Sexual assault
Car accident
Natural disaster
Illness
Symptoms of Trauma
A common feature of trauma is anxiety. Anxiety can be experienced as ruminating and incessant thoughts, worry and fears. Some people will feel on edge throughout their day. Anxiety can also be felt in the body with people experiencing pit in the stomach, headaches and sweaty palms among many other things. Trauma can also lead to panic attacks.
Experiencing trauma can impact mood and emotional regulation. Victims of trauma can find themselves with increased irritability, less patience and heightened sensitivity to triggers. This can be particularly difficult with managing interpersonal relationships.
Trauma can cause symptoms of depression including sadness, changes in appetite and sleep, and loss of pleasure.
When the mind is dealing with trauma it is common to experience distractibility. This may be a way for a person to not have to think about or focus on the trauma feelings and memories. This can negatively impact productivity and employment and can cause acute loss of focus as well.
Trauma can contribute to relationship difficulties. People experiencing symptoms of trauma can feel alone and isolated from their partners. They may also struggle to be present.
Trauma can cause difficulty with falling and staying asleep. Nightmares and night terrors are common as well as flashbacks about the traumatic event.
Some people experiencing trauma develop problematic coping mechanisms including alcohol and substance dependency. Addiction is a serious condition and can be life threatening.
