Distressing experiences, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), that may be in the past but still affect your body, relationships or beliefs about yourself today.
Even when an event is in the past, its effects may continue in the body and emotions. A person may feel unsafe, hypervigilant, easily triggered or avoidant. Intrusive memories or images (flashbacks), recurring nightmares with similar content, intense bodily reactions in certain situations and avoidance of reminders may also occur.
Big-T traumas, refers to experiences involving a clear threat to life or physical integrity. Examples include traffic accidents, natural disasters, physical or sexual assault, war, serious medical events and sudden major losses.
Small-t traumas describes experiences that may not look like a “major” catastrophe in isolation but can strongly affect self-perception and the nervous system, especially when repeated. Examples include chronic criticism or humiliation in childhood, bullying, exclusion, emotional neglect, repeated rejection, unsafe relationship experiences or being left alone at an important moment.
Therapy can address the present-day effects of the experience, bodily responses, self-perception, relationship patterns and triggers connected with the experience.
Get in touch