PTSD & Trauma.

Three in four Australians will experience an event that can cause psychological trauma in their lifetime – that’s nearly 19 million people living in Australia today. Psychological trauma comes in many forms and impacts people from all walks of life (Phoenix Australia).

Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop a trauma-related disorder. Post trauma symptoms are essentially a 'normal' reaction following an abnormal experience. If the individual has received adequate support and debriefing during the aftermath of the incident and no other complications are co-occurring, we would expect post trauma symptoms to eventually subside and the individual return to normal functioning. 
However, there are many individuals whose post trauma symptoms don't subside. Instead and at no fault of their own, their symptoms persist, increase in intensity and eventually exhaust the individuals ability to cope with everyday life. These devastating outcomes have a significant impact across personal, psychosocial and occupational domains. 

So what exactly is PTSD? 
PTSD is a mental health condition triggered by a traumatic event and where the following symptoms (set of reactions) persist long after the initial threat of the event has subsided. The main 'reactions' of PTSD are:
(1) Reliving the traumatic event through distressing, unwanted memories, vivid nightmares and flashbacks. This can also include feeling very upset or having intense physical reactions such as heart palpitations or being unable to breathe when reminded of the traumatic event.
(2) Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event, including activities, places, people, thoughts or feelings that bring back memories of the trauma.
(3) Negative thoughts and feelings like fear, anger and guilt, or feeling flat or numb a lot of the time. A person might blame themselves or others for what happened during or after the traumatic event, feel cut off from friends and family, or lose interest in day-to-day activities.
(4) Feeling wound-up and on edge most of the time. This might mean having trouble sleeping or concentrating, feeling angry or irritable, taking risks, being easily startled and/or being constantly on the lookout for danger. This is also referred to as ‘hypervigilance.’
(5) Feelings of detachment and/or dissociation from self, others and/or the environment.
(6) The co-occurrence of depression and/or anxiety episodes which can lead to substance use problems.

What is Complex-PTSD (C-PTSD)?
C-PTSD is often diagnosed in those who have experienced a series of traumatic events over a period of time, and/or one prolonged traumatic experience. C-PTSD symptoms are similar to PTSD symptoms however tend to be more enduring and extreme.
In addition to PTSD symptomology, individuals with C-PTSD might also experience:
(7) Relationship difficulties and/or patterns of unhealthy relationships
(8) Dominant negative self-view impacting sense of self and ability to interact with others
(9) Severe lack of trust in self and/or others
(10) Persistent anger often leading to anger outbursts and/or rage.
(11) Difficulty controlling emotions often leading to periods of deep sadness.
(12) Severe sleep problems.
(13) Pathological dissociation.
(14) Persistent suicidal ideation, self-harming episodes and/or self-sabotaging behaviours.

C-PTSD is most diagnosed in individuals who:
- Have been exposed to a number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
- Are victims of childhood sexual assault, abuse and/or neglect.
- Lived in a region affected by war.
- Have been exposed to several serious life-threatening experiences and/or deaths (such as a police officer and other first responders).

To find out more, check out Phoenix Australia; the national centre of excellence in posttraumatic mental health and trauma related research.

DHP can asses individuals for trauma related problems and associated disorders.
DHP accepts self-referrals, GP referrals, DVA, EAP and Mental Health Care Plans under Medicare.
DHP psychologists are experienced in the provision of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) and EMDR; the preferred evidenced-based treatment modalities (level 1) as per the Australian Psychological Society's treatment guidelines.

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