TRAUMA DISORDERS

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What is a Trauma Disorder?

A trauma disorder is characterized by developing symptoms after experiencing one or more traumatic events. While many people can navigate a traumatic situation and emerge without long-lasting damage,  others find that they cannot. They begin having symptoms that negatively impact their lives, and they worsen if the person does not seek help.

Understanding Trauma

As humans, we all go through a traumatic experience at some point in our lives, but that doesn’t mean everyone develops a trauma disorder. When someone feels like they are drowning in their symptoms, it becomes difficult to tend to their daily responsibilities, maintain healthy relationships, and perform well at work or in school. Even if a person carries most of their symptoms on the inside, it’s important to get help from a licensed program to stop needless suffering. 

Types of Trauma Disorders 

A person can develop different types of trauma disorders, making it important that they receive a diagnosis from a mental health expert. The types of trauma disorders include:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: About 6 out of 100 people in the U.S. will have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at least once in their lives. It happens to people who have experienced one or more traumatic events and not been able to move past them on their own.
• Acute Stress Disorder: The individual experiences stress reactions within a few days to four weeks after going through something traumatic. If the symptoms of acute stress disorder last longer, they may meet the criteria for having PTSD.
• Adjustment Disorders: After experiencing a highly stressful event, the person endures symptoms that start within three months and end before six months have passed.
• Reactive Attachment Disorder: This occurs when a child fails to form healthy emotional bonds with their parents or other caregivers. The cause is typically related to suffering from abuse or neglect at their hands.

How Do Trauma Disorders Develop?

A person develops a trauma disorder after experiencing a traumatic event. These events can include:

• Sexual abuse
• Physical or emotional abuse
• Natural disasters (hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and more)
• Wartime or military activities
• Community unrest
• School, workplace, and other public shootings
• Witnessing someone else being traumatized
• Long-term illness
• Death of a loved one

Signs and Symptoms of a Trauma Disorder

Trauma disorders cause people to experience different signs and symptoms that may include:

• Flashbacks
• Easily startled
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Moodiness
• Suicidal feelings
• Poor sleep patterns
• Nightmares
• Difficulty forming bonds with others
• Poor performance at work or in school
• Abusing drugs or alcohol
• Avoiding people, locations, and situations that trigger anxious feelings
• Isolating from others

The Diagnostic Criteria for Trauma Disorders

When a mental health clinician performs a diagnosis to determine if someone has a mental illness, they consult the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This book contains the criteria that must be met for each type of mental health disorder, which include specifics like the length and severity of symptoms the person experiences. To receive a diagnosis of a trauma disorder, the person must have experienced one or more traumatic events and developed specific symptoms that greatly impact their life.

How Are Trauma Disorders Treated?

Treatment for trauma disorders is best approached using three methods to provide the best results:

1. Talk Therapy: Meeting in private with a therapist or as part of group therapy helps people sort out their emotions, actions, and thoughts, so they can begin developing healthy coping skills.
2. Holistic Therapy: Holistic therapeutic modalities use the approach that a person must focus on their emotional, physical, and spiritual health at the same time to get the best healing results.
3. Medication: Psychiatric medications can offer tremendous relief from the symptoms of trauma disorders. 

Support For Trauma Disorders

Attending a professional program that treats trauma disorders offers support that a person cannot get when they try to go it alone. One-on-one therapy sessions give people a safe space to speak candidly and dissect the trauma that has affected their lives. Group therapy provides valuable peer support so that each person realizes they are not alone. 

Why Time Wellness?

What sets Time Wellness Tennessee apart from other programs is our insistence on getting to know each person we treat. Our therapists and other clinicians strive to understand how each person experiences their mental illness and help them set and meet treatment goals. Each person receives a plan customized to match their unique needs and set them up for success.