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PTSD Treatment & Trauma Therapy2022-12-19T06:01:42+00:00

Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment in Colorado Springs

What is Truama you might wonder? Here is Trauma Explained

Trauma can be identified as an emotional response to a horrible event such as a:

  • Motor vehicle accident
  • Sexual assault
  • Physical abuse
  • Natural disaster

However, this is not an exhaustive list, only a few examples. Being exposed to actual or threatened death, injury, or violation that causes intense fear or helplessness is what truly defines trauma. Regardless of how tragic and unexpected surviving a trauma is, trauma is inevitable. Everyone at some point in their life will have to deal with some sort of trauma in one way or another. At least ninety percent of adults in the United States have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetimes. Whether in childhood and adolescence, adulthood, or even one’s elderly years, trauma can happen to anyone at any time.

Different Types of Trauma

There are multiple types of traumas, degrees of traumas, and levels of trauma. Trauma can be acute, chronic, or complex and trauma can cause a variety of different responses to one’s physical body, emotional state, and mental capacity when it comes to healing. The factors that differentiate the types of traumas are the duration of the trauma, the frequency of the trauma, and the severity of the trauma. 

  1. Acute Trauma: trauma that has happened in one single event, such as surviving a hurricane. Since acute traumas are single incident traumas, they are normally more likely to be publicized events such as accidents or natural disasters, causing this type of trauma to have more community acceptance. This acceptance can help the survivor feel more validated and can reduce secrecy and shame. Of course, this is not always the case in all acute traumas but in most. These acute traumas also seem to have a clear starting point and ending point, causing the survivor to have a more clearly cut recovery time (after the incident has ended). When it comes to more historically taboo topics such as sexual assault or domestic violence, the survivors of these types of traumas are easily subject to be shamed by those around them. 
  2. Complex Trauma: trauma that is prolonged, repetitive, or chronic and has more wide-reaching effects because it normally does not have a set ending point. Complex trauma exposure often begins in childhood (a developmentally vulnerable time period) or even in domestic violence situations and the secrecy of the nature of these traumas can cause the survivor to deal with shame, guilt, fear, and confusion far after they have escaped to a place of safety.
Image of a woman covering her face. Showing someone who could benefit from PTSD treatment & trauma therapy in Colorado Springs, CO. With guidance of a trauma therapist you can beat your symptoms.

How Trauma Affects the Body

Trauma can affect a person’s body in several different ways. Some symptoms of experiencing trauma can include one experiencing both mental and/or physical symptoms.

Types of Trauma Symptoms

Image of an african american man in a black suit looking in a mirrored wall. Showing that trauma symptoms are not always obvious. But with trauma therapy and PTSD treatment in Colorado Springs, CO you can start to heal.Mental trauma symptoms can include:

  • Exhaustion
  • Flashbacks
  • Dissociation
  • Confusion
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Paranoia
  • Irritability
  • Numbness

Physical trauma symptoms can include:

  • Chronic stress
  • Chronic pain
  • Insomnia or sleeping too much
  • Digestive issues
  • Under-eating or over-eating
  • Weight loss or weight gain

Long-Term Effects of Trauma Without PTSD Treatment

Without trauma therapy and PTSD treatment, symptoms can become more extreme and harder to ignore. Eventually leading to a psychiatric disorder or chronic health problem. 

Some of the long-term psychiatric effects that can be associated with untreated complex trauma include:

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Self-harming behaviors
  • Personality disorders
    • Borderline personality disorder
    • Paranoid personality disorder
    • Avoidant personality disorder
    • Antisocial personality disorder
  • Dissociative disorders
  • Depression
  • Phobias
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance dependency
  • Schizophrenia

Some of the long-term physical diseases that can be associated with untreated complex trauma include:

  • Hypertension
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Chronic pelvic pain
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • The aging and degeneration of brain structures including the hippocampus

For Survivors of Sexual Trauma

Although all types of trauma endured are apt to bring negative consequences, studies have proven how sexual trauma is more likely to bring with it more substantial negative effects on one’s mental health than any other type of assault. This is due to the additional potential consequences involved when one survives sexual trauma such as:

  • Sexually transmitted diseases
  • Unwanted pregnancy, rape trauma syndrome
  • Rape trauma syndrome
  • Damage to one’s genitals area
  • Hypertension

When it comes to more historically taboo topics such as sexual assault or domestic violence, the survivors of these types of traumas are easily subject to be shamed by those around them. The lack of social support also increases one’s likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. Surviving sexual trauma can produce long-term negative effects on a person’s well-being, mental state, health, and opportunity. It has also been proven that people who survive prolonged sexual or physical abuse are more likely to develop characteristic personality changes that include deformations of relatedness and identity. Having a traumatic or stressful childhood is a giant risk factor for one developing a type of personality disorder such as borderline as well as hereditary predisposition later in life.

Trauma & PTSD Treatment at Solace Solutions Counseling and Evaluation

Image of a woman with her arms out looking up at green trees. Showing the joy that can follow working with a Colorado Springs trauma therapist. The weight of what you went through can be less with PTSD treatment & trauma therapy in Colorado Springs.There are several kinds of therapy treatments that can aid in helping to relieve one of their traumatic symptoms or aid in healing symptoms altogether such as cognitive processing therapy, rational emotive behavioral therapy, somatic healing therapy, as well as support groups. Out of all the types of current remedies out there to provide healing in treating mental disorders caused by traumatic exposure, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been proven to be the most beneficial type of therapy specifically for trauma. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has many shapes, sizes, and forms—some of which include eye-movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), as well as talk therapy.

  • Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is another empirically supported treatment that involves the survivor pinpointing negative thought patterns and transforming them into more helpful thought patterns, ultimately influencing and driving their proceeding feelings, thoughts, and actions. In EMDR, the brain is assisted in continuing to process a distressing thought or memory and ultimately can heal from the state of being in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. In EMDR, the therapist engages the person’s brain in bilateral stimulation that helps them to conclude processing a traumatic experience.

  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Because of its target towards children and their caregivers, TF-CBT has been proven as an empirically supported type of treatment for trauma. A few of the main focus points of TF-CBT include:

  • Teaching the child coping mechanisms for their trauma-related symptoms
  • Educating the child on how to process and regulate their emotions
  • Making sure the caregiver is able to maintain the child’s safety

In TF-CBT, the child learns that their feelings are not abnormal and also learns the skills to communicate and manage their emotions while decreasing their stressors. 

Start Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment in Colorado Springs, CO

Are you ready to address your trauma with a caring trauma therapist who is trained to help you? Cognitive behavioral therapy (psychotherapy, eye-movement desensitization reprocessing, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.) is an excellent option for anyone looking to begin the journey of recovery from their trauma. If you are ready to move forward with PTSD treatment and trauma therapy at our Colorado Springs, CO-based therapy practice follow these steps:

  1. Contact us for a free consultation
  2. Make your first appointment with a trained trauma therapist
  3. Begin your healing journey

Other Holistic Therapy Services we Offer in Colorado Springs, CO

Our caring and understanding therapists provide counseling for teens, adults, couples, and families. This includes specialized treatment for anxiety and depression. Additionally, we can provide a sex offender risk assessment. All of these services are offered in person in Colorado Springs or throughout Colorado using online therapy.

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