Trauma Therapy in
Maryland
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is an event or a series of events that are acutely distressing or disturbing. Traumatic events can be something that happens just once, such as a car accident.
Or it can be a complex set of experiences such as growing up in an abusive home. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between trauma and other mental health conditions because they can appear to be alike. Most of the time the only difference is that the trauma happened.
Trauma causes an emotional storm that is hard to describe. Trauma can leave you feeling disconnected from reality, distracted and confused, whether you are feeling overwhelmed, sad or anxious.
A traumatic experience can make it hard to be present, live in the moment or even recover from the difficult memories. Therapy helps people recover from their trauma. “It may seem impossible but with the right support it can be better.”
How Therapy Helps With Trauma
At the Center for Intimacy, Connection and Change (CICC) the therapists help people develop the skills they need to cope with life. As you get more able to cope with everyday life, you and your therapist will work through the traumatic memories and feelings. The environment is collaborative and supportive. It’s designed to guide you toward your goals without being 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.