Trauma Treatment in Delhi, India
Overview
Trauma is an emotional response to an extremely stressful event. Facing events such as an accident, war, assault, or natural disaster may trigger unpredictable emotions. With the help of a psychologist, you may find your way back to normal emotions through constructive therapy. Trauma affects not only your psychological well-being but also your physical health.
Trauma Causes
Trauma may be acute if it occurs due to a single stressful event or chronic due to repeated exposure to stress, such as domestic violence. It may occur at any age. However, not everyone may suffer from trauma due to stressful events. The following can cause trauma:
- Accidents
- Sexual or physical abuse
- Assault or attack
- Being in a war zone
- Natural disasters like floods or earthquakes
- Exposure to traumatic events at work
- Death of a loved on
- Loss of a child at birth
- Suffering from a serious medical condition
- Mental torture
- Harassment
- Bullying
Such frightening or stressful events result in trauma, often described as Post Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD). Sometimes a person may develop trauma symptoms from close contact with someone who has experienced a traumatic event. Such a case is called secondary trauma. Generally, family members who take care of trauma patients are vulnerable to secondary trauma.
Trauma Symptoms
Signs of trauma are different in different individuals. When exposed to stressful events, your body has a natural mechanism for dealing with the events. Adrenaline and cortisol are the two stress hormones your body releases in response. Trauma affects your body and mind and changes how you feel, think, or behave. You may experience the following symptoms:
- Flashbacks: You keep on reliving and remembering details of the traumatic event.
- Anxiety: You are unable to relax and constantly stay anxious. You may find anxiety hard to enjoy the things that you were earlier used to.
- Sleep problems: You may have difficulty sleeping due to the fear of nightmares. Your sleeping pattern may show some changes.
- Panic attacks: It is a sense of fear that occurs again and again.
- Dissociation: You may distance yourself from the world, detach from what is happening around you, and prefer avoiding people.
- Denial: You fail to accept the event.
- Grief: You may experience extreme sorrow.
- Low self-esteem: You may lose your confidence.
- Negative thoughts: You may feel hopeless, sad, angry, negative, guilty, or numb.
Sometimes, you may have depressive and suicidal thoughts. Seek help immediately.
Children may show different signs, such as:
- Bedwetting even when the child knows how to use a toilet.
- Forgetting to talk or walk.
- Clinging to parents continuously or to any other adult member.
- Enacting the event in playtime.
Some signs of trauma may be seen as physical responses:
- Headache
- Stomach ache
- Increased heartbeat
- Sweating
- Digestion issues and gastrointestinal disturbances
Trauma Diagnosis
There is no blood test or scan for diagnosing trauma. Talk to your physician soon if you have any of the above symptoms.
Trauma Treatment
Psychological therapies, medication, and self-help practices can help you recover from trauma. It is necessary to share how you feel with family and friends so that they can help you cope with the events. The following treatment options are available:
Psychological Therapies
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): Trauma-focused CBT helps you cope with a stressful event, accept it, and restart your routine.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): The therapist will ask you to recall the traumatic incident in detail while making eye movements, such as following the movement of the therapist's finger.
- Schema therapy: It helps you address your unmet needs and difficult beliefs about yourself.
Somatic Therapies
- Sensorimotor monitoring: Turning traumatic events into emotional strength by remembering the details.
- Acupoint stimulation: The therapist applies pressure on specific points for relaxation of the mind and body
- Touch therapies: Reiki, or healing touch, can help heal the mind.
Medication for Trauma
Doctors may recommend medications such as sertraline, paroxetine, fluoxetine, and venlafaxine. However, you should avoid discontinuing the treatment on your own as well as self-medication.
Trauma Preventions
- You may focus on yourself and develop ways to cope with traumatic events. Along with following a balanced lifestyle, you may do the following:
- Engage in a creative art or craft activity that will divert your thoughts.
- Eat a balanced nutritious diet.
- Sleep 7-8 hours at night.
- Exercise regularly and try to stay fit.
- Practice yoga and breathing techniques.
- Try meditation.
- Listen to your favourite music or play an instrument.
- Talk to friends.
- Avoid alcohol consumption and smoking.
- Make sure to attend your appointment with the therapist.
Prognosis
Most people will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime. Trauma and PSTD need to be addressed in time. Without treatment, the conditions may worsen. Treatment will help you reduce your symptoms and cope with the situation. Medication combined with therapies can help fight suicidal thoughts. Self-care, in addition to therapy, will improve your quality of life.