Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is unique in a variety of ways. It’s a short-term therapy that can help you reprocess traumatic memories in a matter of weeks (depending on complexity). It isn’t a traditional form of talk therapy in that you’re not sharing heavy details about your…
Overcoming the lasting effects of any kind of trauma can be difficult. But, complex trauma is often more of a challenge because of the tangled web it can weave within your mind. Complex trauma is usually caused by consistent, ongoing traumatic experiences. It’s most often found through things like childhood…
So you’ve set a boundary, and now you feel worse than you did before the boundary was set. You did this to help yourself feel better, right? So why is it that you now feel worse? Don’t worry; experiencing negative emotions around setting boundaries is completely normal. Here are a…
Giving birth has the potential to be a traumatic experience. We’ll explain more about birth trauma below, but for now, it is important to recognize how birth trauma can impact a family, especially the person giving birth. When a moment you expect to be joyous turns out to be scary…
There is no definitive list of who can experience trauma — because anyone can. Children, teenagers, adults, men, and women can all go through something traumatic and experience symptoms of trauma. Trauma, at the base level, is a response to a highly emotional event or situation. Trauma commonly occurs after…
Quite often, the general perception of trauma involves a single incident. In many cases, this can be accurate. But complicated or complex trauma is a reality, too. Some people go through a relentless barrage of traumas. These ongoing abuses may, for example, be related to trafficking, living in a war…
At first glance, you may assume a “trauma bond” occurs when two or more people endure a crisis together. However, the term has a much different meaning. Have you ever had a relationship—romantic or otherwise—in which you always felt off-balance? The other person seemed to run hot and cold—but usually…
When you are traumatized, it can often be hard to carry on with your day-to-day life. You may feel triggered often, or unable to move on after what has happened. As difficult as it may sound, you have to try to function and move forward. Otherwise, you may feel stuck…
When thinking of PTSD, many people immediately associate the condition with symptoms like flashbacks and hypervigilance. While those are certainly hallmarks of PTSD, some lesser-known symptoms may surprise people. But because these aren’t the most well-known symptoms, some people may not recognize them as a sign of PTSD. Why Does…
At times, trauma symptoms can be quite obvious, while other times, they might be so subtle that we are not aware they exist. Or we have lived with the symptoms for so long, it can feel like a part of our everyday existence. One example of a subtle symptom is…