Trauma includes any event that threatens
or actually causes a person death or serious bodily
injury. A traumatic event can be anything from an earthquake
or a tsunami to a car accident, wartime battle, shooting,
mugging or an act of abuse (such as a child being beaten.)
This is just a short list of events that can be traumatic.
There are many others. Whether we experience a traumatic
event personally, or perhaps witness others going through
it, we can be seriously affected.
When we experience a traumatic event, either in
person or as a witness, we can have a variety of
reactions. Reactions range from fear and anxiety
to sadness, grief and/or anger. When our reactions
persist for at least a month after the traumatic
experience, we may be experiencing what is called
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD.
According to the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) published by the American
Psychiatric Association, you may be experiencing
PTSD if you witnessed or personally experienced a
traumatic event, and you have five or more of the
following symptoms:
- Recurrent distressing memories of the event
- Recurrent nightmares of the event
- Feeling as if the trauma is recurring or you are
reliving it
- Intense emotional distress when you see things that
remind you of the event
- Efforts to avoid thoughts related to the event
- Lack of interest in activities you used to enjoy
- Feeling detached from others
- Feeling numb or not having a normal range of emotions
- Difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating
- Increased irritability or outbursts of anger.
If you are experiencing several
of the symptoms listed above, you may benefit from
supportive psychotherapy.
Dr. Fasse has worked with many clients who have experienced
abuse, neglect, and other forms of trauma in their
lives. She believes in the individual’s ability
to heal from trauma and live an emotionally healthy
life. She has also had specific training in working
with PTSD. While you can’t change the events
that have happened in your life, you can learn how
to cope with trauma and how to change your emotional
reactions to these events.
Dr. Fasse is available for afternoon
and evening appointments at her downtown Benicia,
California
office on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Please
feel free to call Dr. Fasse at 415-225-1202, or email her,
if you would like to set up an appointment, make
a referral, or get more information on: Trauma & Abuse
Counseling; Child,
Adolescent & Family Counseling; Individual
Counseling; or Domestic
Violence Counseling.
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