Treatment for PTSD and Other Healing Emotional Trauma

At Caring Counseling, we carry all sorts of depression counseling, ptsd counselor, marriage counseling, sexuality counseling, stress management, and so much more!

PTSD stands for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and it is a common response  to any kind of emotional trauma.  It was first diagnosed after the Vietnam War, when soldiers returning from combat experienced it.  There are high rates of it today in soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  However, in the years since Vietnam, we have realized that PTSD is not limited to combat veterans.  Many women who have suffered through incest or other sexual abuse as a child, or rape at any age, also develop PTSD.  Any experience that provokes the emotions of intense fear, helplessness or horror can lead to PTSD later on. You may need PTSD counseling to get through your trauma. When diagnosed with PTSD your insurance may help you with payment for PTSD counseling.

There are three types of symptoms in PTSD: symptoms of reexperiencing the traumatic event; symptoms of avoidance and numbing; and symptoms of emotional arousal.

Symptoms of Reexperiencing:

Distressing memories of the experience
Distressing dreams of the experience
Flashbacks, where it feels like the experience is happening again
Emotional and physical distress when exposed to cues of the event

Symptoms of Avoidance and Numbing:

Avoiding thoughts, feelings or conversations about the experience
Avoiding people, places or activities that remind you of the event
Inability to remember some or all of the experience
Decreased interest and participation in significant activities
Feeling detached or estranged from other people
Not expecting to live a normal life

Symptoms of Emotional Arousal:

Trouble sleeping
Irritability or outright anger
Difficulty concentrating
Always on alert to what is going on around you
Extreme response when something startles you

While cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help with some of the symptoms of PTSD and healing emotional trauma, I also do a lot of psychodynamic work with rape and incest victims.  People need to remember and talk about the trauma, the incest, the rape, the combat.  There is research to show that talking through your past traumas calms the emotional center of the brain. 

Helpful books for teatment for PTSD:

For PTSD
–“PTSD Sourcebook”, Glenn Schiraldi.

For  incest
– “Courage to Heal”, Ellen Bass and Laura Davis.

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If you think you may be experiencing PTSD, click here: