Am I Traumatised?
I am first and foremost a Hypnotherapist, however I believe that Hypnotherapy - introducing new thought patterns to the subconscious mind that then result in behaviour change - is just one of many ways to treat trauma.
To treat trauma, we must first define it. Trauma is a wound of the mind caused by an unexpected event (or series of events) that do not fit into the expected story of our lives. The mind understands action and consequence; “If I do this….then this happens”. However, occasionally something happens that disrupts the series of action-then-consequence it doesn’t happen “as it should”, and it is overwhelming and outside of our capacity to process it at the time. Trauma may be ongoing - called developmental trauma - or a one-off event - called shock trauma. Trauma could also be something that should have happened that didn’t, such as neglect or disrespect. The wound comes, not from the event itself - which is no doubt traumatic - but from the ongoing effects of that mental wound, as it tries to finish the story by replaying itself in the mind and body until it is processed. Finishing the story or allowing the mind and body to complete the natural “working through” process as it is called, is the key to recovery. In therapy, we look at what events in your life were not able to be processed at the time, remove blockers, and help the mind and body naturally complete the working-through process that it wants to achieve.
For example, if you look both ways at a pedestrian crossing step then out onto the road and get struck by a car. In this situation, being hit by a car does not make logical sense, especially considering you looked both ways. An opportunity arises for PTSD to result from this situation. Another, more complex example of developmental trauma would be if, as a child, you were bullied at school over many years resulting in regular humiliation, isolation from other children, fear, and feelings of being not good enough. In this situation you may have hoped for a parent to step in a protect you - you saw that as their responsibility - but they didn’t which compounds the feelings of isolation and unworthiness. Or, the unexpected death of someone may result in trauma as that too does not follow a logical sequence of expected events.
What constitutes trauma is very personal - what may be traumatic to you may not be traumatic to me - but the body’s response to trauma is similar among sufferers, as are the coping mechanisms that give relief. This allows me to assist clients by using techniques that have worked for many thousands of other people. If one strategy doesn’t work, there are other techniques in the trauma toolbox. The positive side is, many people have recovered from the symptoms of trauma, and despite going through horrific events, they have been able to process them mentally, emotionally, and physically and go on to live full and happy lives.
