Uncover the Signs and Find Support

Trauma can be simply defined as a stressful, frightening, or distressing event that is difficult to cope with and outside of one’s control. Trauma can happen at any age, and it ranges from severe, life-altering life events to smaller, emotionally damaging everyday moments. When an individual has suffered a traumatic experience or series of events from which they cannot seem to recover, trauma informed care through a licensed trauma therapist is extremely beneficial.

Is past trauma affecting me?

The signs and symptoms of trauma can, and often do, linger for many years. Coping mechanisms may have developed over time to allow a person to function, but signs of past trauma should not be ignored. Past trauma can result in long term physical and psychological effects. At Christian Counseling of Tampa, we offer support for trauma survivors through our licensed trauma therapists.

Signs and Symptoms of PTSD

Severe and significant past trauma can result in PTSD. Signs and symptoms of someone suffering PTSD may include:

 ·   Intrusive thoughts

·   Distorted beliefs about yourself or others

·   Anxiety

·   Depression

·   Social withdrawal

·   Self-harm

·   Insomnia

·   Flashbacks

·   Insecurity

·   Inability to trust others.

·   Feelings of detachment

·   Substance abuse as a coping mechanism

Long-Term Health Effects of Untreated Trauma

Not everyone who has experienced past trauma will suffer from PTSD. There are, however, other long term physical effects that may crop up due to untreated trauma. These include:

·   Obesity

·   Chronic health issues

·   Increased inflammation in the body

·   Stress disorders.

·   Heart attacks

·   Cancer

·   Diabetes

·   Suicidal thoughts/tendencies

 

If you, or someone you know, is suffering from past trauma, a trained therapist can offer tools to help heal the emotional scars of the past and provide stability for the present. 

What are some self-care tips for healing from trauma?

A therapist specializing in trauma therapy can help you break free from the past by giving you tools to help you process and cope with your traumatic experiences. During the trauma-healing process, self-care is crucial to success. Allowing yourself the space to grieve, process, and heal for traumatic experiences offers you the best path toward healing. A trauma therapist will help you create a list of ways to support your body and mind while you work on healing. These may include:

·       Rest

·       Improved Sleep

·       Exercise

·       Journaling

·       Talking with a trusted friend

·       Developing a new hobby

·       Meditation

·       Establishing a healthy routine

·       Avoiding addictions

Healing the emotional wounds left by trauma can be a daunting, but empowering, journey. The first, and most important step in breaking free from the past is asking for help. Through the guidance of a trained therapist, as well as connection with other trauma survivors, you can move beyond the events that scarred your past and into a future that is safe and healthy. Our Tampa-based trauma therapists are ready to walk you through your healing journey.

The Benefits of Trauma Therapy

Many people may not understand the impact that past trauma is having on their present lives and relationships. Trauma can affect everything from mood to social interactions, the ability to hold down employment, as well as their focus to learn in school.

It may be difficult at first to meet with a trauma therapist and discuss the events that impacted your past, but over time those conversations become easier as you begin to process your emotions. Some benefits of seeking help for past trauma include:

·       Reducing trigger behaviors associated with PTSD.

·       Improving your relationships with others, from family and friends to colleagues and acquaintances

·       Developing healthy coping mechanisms to deal with unresolved anger or depression.

·       Learning how to implement self-care into your daily routine.

·       Increasing peace of mind

·       Better sleep

·       Improved overall health and immunity.

·       Reframing your traumatic experience and learning to process it.

If you are looking for a trauma therapist in the Tampa area, we have several at Christian Counseling of Tampa Bay who are ready to help you on your journey of healing.

How can I support a loved one who has experienced trauma?

It can be a difficult task helping a loved one cope with a traumatic event. It is human nature to want to try and fix the problem, but it is important that you accept what happened to them and don’t try to brush past it. One of the most important things you can do for a loved one dealing with trauma is let them know you are available to listen. Allow them the space and freedom to talk with you about what they’re feeling and resist the urge to try and “fix” the problem.

Other things you can do to help include:

·       Don’t take it personally if they lash out at you emotionally. Be a safe space for them to process hurt without feeling the need to talk them out of those emotions.

·       You may need to give them time to themselves.

·       Offer to do practical tasks for them such as grocery shopping, cleaning, running general errands, watching their children, helping them with schoolwork, etc…

·       Encourage them to take care of themselves through exercise, a healthy diet, and good sleep.

·       Don’t enable unhealthy coping mechanisms.

·       Be available to them when they need to talk.

Allowing space for a person dealing with trauma can be tricky. There are a few things you can say that will be generally helpful, and others that may do more harm than good. A few dos and don’ts include:

·       Do be open and available to listen to them talk about their trauma.

·       Don’t assume you know best how they should be feeling or thinking about the event or events that they’re processing.

·       Do encourage them to take care of themselves.

·       Don’t tell them to ‘get over it’ and move on.

·       Do support them if they desire to seek professional help.

·       Don’t try to force them to seek help if they don’t want it.

·       Do encourage them to think about the good things they have in life.

·       Don’t tell them to ‘look on the bright side’ or ‘find the silver lining’.

Overcoming the Fear of Seeking Help

While a reluctance to discuss past trauma is natural for anybody, finding a trauma informed therapist you can trust will allow you to build an emotional alliance with that person. This establishes a sense of trust, which will give you the freedom to share and process the moments that so negatively impacted your life.

Building a strong alliance with your therapist will take time. It doesn’t happen in a single meeting. A skilled therapist won’t expect you to share your past immediately but will give you the space to get comfortable and slowly build trust so that you can better hear their advice and utilize the tools they give you to help you emotionally break free from the past.

Therapists who specialize in trauma understand the importance of building trust between themselves and you, the client. They will take care to lay the groundwork necessary so that you feel safe to share openly. It is inside this framework of trust that healing begins.

Am I broken because of my past trauma?

The short answer to that question is no, you are not broken. But we know that healing from trauma is not a linear process. The process of healing emotional wounds from trauma will ebb and flow. You may be tempted to think that after one or two therapy sessions all is well and you can move on with life, but healing takes time.

A feeling of brokenness is completely natural. It is your body’s defense mechanism, and often the thing that pushes trauma victims to find help. You were not meant to navigate the healing journey on your own. At Christian Counseling of Tampa, we are ready and equipped with trauma informed therapists to help you walk through the memories that now affect your day-to-day living. We will provide you with the necessary tools not to forget the things that happened to you, but to reframe them in a way that allows you to function under the memories.

I'm scared to open up about my trauma. What if people judge me?

A fear of speaking up is not uncommon among those who have experienced trauma. Discomfort in discussing past trauma is natural. Often, people are burying their feelings for any numbers of reasons, some of which include: 

·       Not wanting to appear weak.

·       Fear of retaliation by their abuser.

·       Unlocking painful memories is too overwhelming.

·       A fear of not being believed.

These emotions are all completely natural—you are not alone. Speaking with a trauma therapist gives a person suffering from trauma an outlet to share in a place that is free from judgment. A licensed therapist holds space for victims to share openly without judgment. Taking the first step toward healing will always require sharing not only the events that happened to you, but your current feelings and struggles in relation to those events. Discussing past trauma is scary, but finding someone you trust to talk through the pain is a step on the path of healing.

How can I support a loved one who is struggling with trauma?

If a loved one is struggling with the effects of past trauma, there are things that you can do to support them and encourage them toward healing. First and foremost, learn to be a good listener. Don’t try to talk or solve the problems. Just sit and listen. Allow them to express their feelings, no matter how difficult that may be for you. Outside of listening well, here are other ways that you can support a loved one through their trauma healing journey:

·       Offer practical support.

·       Help them find trained support through therapy if they’re open to it.

·       Do not judge their memories, feelings, or emotions.

·       Engage in fun activities with them.

·       Respect their privacy and boundaries. Don’t push for more information than they’re willing to give.

·       Learn their triggers.

·       Help them set healthy boundaries.

 The Importance of Professional Support

Offering practical support allows someone healing from a traumatic event the mental space to process and heal. This can be as simple as helping them with tasks around the house, walking their dog, going to the grocery store, or cooking a meal.

Finding trained support is a key component of healing. Christian Counseling of Tampa has several trauma therapists here in the Tampa area who are equipped to help your loved ones heal.

Understanding Trauma Responses

Everyone has different reactions to trauma. It can be difficult to understand the feelings that someone close to you is processing, particularly if you yourself have experienced trauma, or if you remember events differently than your loved one. Allow space for them to share and walk through their past trauma and try not to judge their feelings or memories.

Engaging Your Loved One in Life’s Activities

One way to help someone dealing with trauma is to help them engage with life around them. Look for fun and engaging activities that you can do with them. These can include taking a walk, watching a movie, going for a long drive, visiting a farmer’s market or outdoor event (if crowds aren’t triggering), or finding some other way to help them engage in the world around them.

It can be tempting to try and push your loved one to share how they’re feeling, but it’s important to listen and allow them to share only as much as they are comfortable with. Over time, as they establish trust with you and see your willingness to hear them without judgment, they may open more.

Learning the triggers of a close friend or family member who has experienced trauma takes time and careful observation. If there are events or people or places that seem to trigger a strong emotional response, look for ways to carefully help them confront those feelings and understand when triggers need to be avoided, and when they need to be confronted. If the trigger responses are bigger than you can handle, it may be time to guide your loved one to a trauma therapist who can help them on a more clinical and practical level.

Setting healthy boundaries is key to managing trauma. Your loved one may find themselves scattered and struggling to make sense of their everyday tasks. Sitting down with them and helping them set healthy boundaries is a practical way you can help walk your loved one through a traumatic memory or experience.

Healing from trauma can feel like a daunting task, but it is not impossible. Knowing the signs and symptoms of trauma and establishing a healthy support system from loved ones to therapists, helps one suffering from trauma to find a path toward health and healing. Christian Counseling of Tampa is here to help you take those steps of healing. Call us today to connect with a trained trauma therapist.

INTERESTED IN TRAUMA THERAPY IN TAMPA, FL

If you're interested in exploring personalized guidance and counseling services, consider connecting with Christian Counseling of Tampa. Our compassionate team is here to support you every step of the way offering support and guidance, combining faith-based principles with evidence-based techniques to help you navigate the path to healing from trauma. Reach out today to learn more about our services and how we can assist you.

Read more in our Trauma Series

Healing from Trauma, Tampa FL

Finding purpose After Pain

You don't have to suffer in silence or feel overwhelmed from your trauma. Our therapists can offer support for trauma from our North Tampa, FL office located in the Northdale neighborhood and our South Tampa, FL office. To start trauma therapy, follow these simple steps:  

Contact Christian Counseling of Tampa

Meet with a caring therapist

Start learning to manage your symptoms associated with your trauma.

OTHER SERVICES OFFERED WITH CHRISTIAN COUNSELING OF TAMPA

Counseling for trauma individuals isn't the only service offered by our Tampa, FL-based practice. Our team is happy to offer a variety of services in support of your mental health. Other services offered include child therapy, premarital counseling, Christian counseling, therapy for anxiety, marriage intensives, trauma, and therapy for depression. We use a variety of treatment modalities including CBT, EFT, grief therapy, and more! Feel free to learn more about us by visiting our FAQ or blog today!