Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem you may develop after experiencing a certain isolated incident or events. The condition was first recognised in war veterans. It has had different names in the past, such as ‘shell shock’, but it’s not only diagnosed in soldiers. A wide range of traumatic experiences can be causes of PTSD. There are also different levels of trauma that one may experience and can handle. These may be from mild to severe trauma. Nonetheless it still trauma and can have some long lasting negative effects that can escalate over time.
These are some of the causes for PTSD
- Road accidents
- Rape or sexual assault
- Abuse, harassment or being bullied, including racism, sexism and other types of abuse targeting your identity
- Experiencing violence, including military combat, a terrorist attack, or any violent assault
- Seeing other people hurt or killed, including in the course of your job, sometimes called secondary trauma
- Doing a job where you repeatedly see or hear distressing things, such as the emergency services or armed forces
- Surviving a natural disaster, such as flooding, earthquakes or pandemics, such as the Corona Virus Pandemic
- Bereavement of friends or family members in difficult circumstances
PTSD symptoms can vary for people but they can almost always have altered cortisol levels, and a prolonged exposure to these increased hormones can cause some unexpected, and very inconvenient physical problems.
Some common symptoms:
- Increased anxiety and emotional arousal
- Hypervigilance (On constant ‘red alert’)
- Intense physical reactions to reminders of the event (e.g. Pounding heart, Nausea, muscle tension, sweating)
- Irritability or outbursts of anger
- Irrational and intense fear
- Reduced tolerance to noise (hyperacusis)
- Difficulty concentrating
- Panic attacks/anxiety/depression/mood swings
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Work-related or relationship problems
- Inability to remember important aspect of the trauma
- Loss of interest in activities and life in general
- Avoidance of people and places
- Re-experiencing the traumatic event
- Flashbacks (Acting or feeling like the event is happening again)
- Nightmares (either of the event or of other frightening things)
- Feelings of intense distress when reminded of the trauma Other common symptoms
- Feeling suicidal
- Self harm and self-destructive tendencies
- Feeling distrustful and suspicious/blaming others
- Guilt, Shame, embarrassment or self blame
- Misuse of alcohol/drugs/gambling and/or food
How I can help
IEMT – Integral Eye Movement Technique is a technique used to remove negative emotions from negative memories that tend to hover in the forefront of our minds. When these negative memories overpower or thought processes, they can make us relive the traumatic event again and again in our mind’s eye. With the the use gentle and rhythmic eye movements it is possible to detach the emotion so that they become stand alone memories only, which then no longer affect us adversely. Once these memories stop affecting us we can then replace them with feelings of healing, strength and positivity so that we can move on and look forward to a better future.
Common examples of PTSD
- Physical / sexual abuse
- Armed forces experiences
- Road traffic accidents
- Natural disasters
- Childhood trauma e.g domestic violence
How IEMT and Hypnotherapy can help PTSD
- Emotional clearing
- Emotional healing
- Mental clarity
- Better decision making
- Clearer self identity
- Feel happier
- Feel relaxed
- Feel stronger
Meeting Priti was one of the best things I ever did. She’s helped me become myself again and realise I am not my insecurities or fears. I have become so confident and strong because of this lady and I would recommend her to anyone. Thank you for everything Priti, you’ve changed my life.
