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Trauma and PTSD

Many victims of trauma find it difficult to regulate their thoughts, feelings, mood, and behaviour after the trauma. They may feel shook-up, agitated, anxious, depressed, numb, or in a generalized state of uneasiness. Many have problems with memory, attention, and concentration. Others withdraw from life as they once lived.

Still others have disturbing images, dreams, nightmares, and flashbacks of the events and have trouble sleeping. If one was physically injured, acute pain, somatic complaints, and mood symptoms make the traumatic events worse. Some may turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with the trauma and pain.

Victims of accidents are often not aware that they can receive therapy or Counselling free of charge to help them through this difficult time. The psychological and emotional impact of their suffering often goes unacknowledged and untreated.

Acute stress and post traumatic stress disorders develop in response to a traumatic life event or cumulative events and includes the following predominant symptoms:

  • Recurrent distressing or upsetting thoughts, perceptions, visions, images, and dreams of the event
  • Fearfulness, terror, or unsettling feelings
  • Hyper arousal (eg., increased restlessness, agitation, sleep disturbance, exaggerated startle response)
  • Persistent anxiety and panic feelings
  • Avoidance of situations that remind one of the trauma
  • Recurrent anger, mood swings, and irritability

Therapy and Treatment

Each trauma recovery treatment programme is individually tailored to the unique needs, challenges, fears, and life situation of the client. We offer treatment that focuses on reducing symptoms, equipping the client with effective coping mechanisms, providing self-soothing and self-relaxation strategies, working-through painful memories that is necessary to heal and increase functional capacities, therefore improving the quality of one's life.