You may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if you experience something which you find traumatic. Such as witnessing an assault, childbirth, being bullied, being involved in a road traffic accident or natural disaster. The development of the illness depends on how you deal with the experience. It is not dependent on the severity of the experience. Symptoms include traumatic memories or dreams, avoiding things that remind you of the event, not being able to sleep and feeling anxious. You may feel isolated and withdrawn.

What Are The Symptoms of PTSD?

• reliving the experience through flashbacks, dreams, or nightmares
• not being able to feel emotions
• dissociation. This could include disconnecting from yourself or others
• negative alternations in mood
• emotional dysregulation. This means it is difficult to control your emotions
• problems relating to others
• problems in relationships
• negative self-perception such as feeling worthless or defeated
• hyperarousal such as anger, irritability, or sleep issues
• hypervigilance such as feeling on constant alert. Or being overly sensory to stimuli, such as smell and noise
• avoidance. This could mean that you try to distract your thought from thinking about the trauma. Or you avoid situations that remind you of your trauma

How Counselling Can Help

If you recognise symptoms of PTSD, going to your GP in the first instance for diagnosis is recommended. If you have had symptoms for under four weeks since the event, or your symptoms are mild, they may suggest ‘watchful waiting’. This means keeping a close eye on your symptoms and seeing if things improve by themselves. You should be offered a follow-up appointment within a month to check-in and see how you are doing.  

Talking therapies that I offer allows you the chance to talk about your feelings surrounding the trauma and stress and I will work with you in a way in which you can try to find coping strategies and build a tool kit of resilience to try to manage the thoughts and feelings that you may have.  I am currently undergoing training myself to become a trauma trained counsellor in REWIND technique, which is particularly useful when working with clients who present with trauma-based issues. 

Looking for Trauma Counselling in Lincolnshire?

If you feel that trauma counselling is something that would benefit you, please do get in touch for a free assessment. We can assess your needs and find the best course of action for you.