PTSD Treatment
PTSD treatment is a specific approach to help people with PTSD symptoms. We use a number of trauma informed approaches which include EMDR therapy. EMDR is the leading evidence based treatment for PTSD.
1 in 10 people in the UK are expected to experience PTSD symptoms at some point in their lifetime. Around 20% of people who have experienced a trauma will go on to develop PTSD. This is 10% of the UK population. The majority of people who experience a trauma will experience some form of trauma symptoms but these usually fade after a few weeks. If you have been through a trauma and you are still experiencing symptoms a month later you might be experincing PTSD.
If left untreated PTSD symtoms can lead to other mental health complications. Examples could include, anxiety, depression and addiction.
What Is PTSD?
PTSD is a trauma and stress related disorder NOT an anxiety disorder. PTSD is an acronym which stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It covers a specific set of symptoms which include changes in psychological functioning, somatic functioning and behavioural functioning. PTSD type symptoms can begin soon after a traumatic event or months or years later.
PTSD Symptoms
A handful of the full spectrum of symptoms might include:
Experience disturbing and unwanted memories of the trauma.
Feeling like you are reliving the trauma in the present
You are having to consciously avoid memories or things that remind you of the trauma.
You experience negative feelings about yourself or the world
You blame yourself or someone else for what happened
Feeling dettached from the world
Feeling jumpy or easily startled
Feeling stressed most of the time
Sleeping difficulties
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Version 5 - 2013
'The essential feature of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to one or more traumatic events. The clinical presentation of (PTSD) varies. In some individuals, fear-based re-experiencing, emotional, and behavioural symptoms may predominate. In others, dysphoric mood states and negative cognitions may be most distressing. In some cases, arousal and reactive-externalising symptoms are prominent, while in others dissociative symptoms predominate. Some individuals exhibit combinations of these symptom patterns.' REF: DSM-5 APA, 2013
Risk Factors Related To Developing PTSD
The majority of trauma experienced in life happens within the home. Experncing trauma as part of a close attachment figure can increase the risk of developing PTSD or complex PTSD. The number of traumatic incidents you experience in life can increase the risk of developing PTSD symptoms. If a single event trauma is life threatening to yourself or a loved one it increases the risk of developing symptoms. Sexual trauma also carries a higher risk than some other types of trauma in someone developing PTSD symptoms.
EMDR Therapist
Matthew Alderton - MA, BSc, Dip, Dip Psych. I trained at The Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education in London to become a counsellor and EMDR practitioner.
EMDR is the leading evidence based treatment for PTSD. I also use other trauma informed approaches to help with trauma symptoms. These include: trauma release exercises, polyvagal theory and body psychotherapy.
I am approachable and down to earth helping you to feel safe whilst using trauma informed therapy.
PTSD Treatment Approaches
Trauma & Somatic Therapy Explained
This video explains the journey a person might go on, in relation to experiencing trauma, the nature of trauma and how somatic therapy (including EMDR) has helped them overcome trauma.
Warning: (this video contains scenes some viewers might find upsetting).
Bilateral Movement
EMDR therapy utilises bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation refers to a gentle stimulation of the right and left side of the body alternately. Bilateral stimulation is carried out at different speeds depending on the EMDR therapy phase of treatment.
This can include following a finger, light stick or moving ball. It can also include physical body tapping, auditory beats or bleeps or vibrating buzzers. Or a combination of several forms of billateral stimulation.
How Can EMDR Therapy Help With PTSD?
When we experience a trauma, we may have difficulty integrating and processing the trauma into our everyday experience. It is the difficulty we have in integrating our experience that results in trauma or PTSD symptoms.
Unprocessed trauma can colour our experience of life and take us away from a point of balance and homeostasis. It could be likened to a splinter in the skin which prevents healing. Once the splinter is removed healing can begin. Trauma processing and desensitisation works in a similar way but instead of removing the trauma we are able to process and integrate our traumatic experience. This means that a person is no longer triggered when they remember it and natural healing can begin.
EMDR therapy identifies and helps us to desensitise and re-process trauma experience with billateral stimulation. It is this re-processing of the trauma that enables cognitions to become more adaptive and we become desensitised to the traumatic experience. This means that we can look back on a traumatic experience without being re-traumatised by it.
Trauma Therapy Benefits
Present
Reprocessing trauma helps us to live back in the present moment with the ability to enjoy life to the full.
Connect
Reconnect to our true selves in a healthy way without trauma symptoms. 'I feel like me again'.
Balance
When trauma triggers are reduced we can restor balance and homeostasis back into our lives.
Happiness
When we reconnect to our selves, restore homeostasis and feel back in balance we are naturally happier.
Client's Experience Of PTSD Therapy
