Trauma (PTSD) Counseling - Charlotte, NC
Trauma can have a profound impact on nearly every aspect of your life – relationships, work, school, and of course, your mental health. Unresolved trauma can even impact your physical health! Many times, the symptoms aren’t so obvious. People commonly struggle with relationships, depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem for many years before they realize that many of their difficulties are related to traumatic experiences they had many years ago, or thought they had moved on from. Trauma can affect how we think, feel, and experience the world on a daily basis.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms
The effects of trauma impact how we think, feel, and experience the world on a daily basis. PTSD symptoms typically fall into four categories.
Intrusion Symptoms
You may experience intense physical or emotional distress when you're reminded of the event. This could include flashbacks (where you feel like the event is happening again right now), nightmares, or even ruminating thoughts or memories that you just can't shake.
Avoidance Symptoms
You may skip events or go out of your way to avoid places, people, or situations that might remind you of the event. You may be aware that you're avoiding it because it would remind you of the event, but it can also be more subtle. This could look like chronic procrastination, being forgetful, chronically being late, etc.
Negative Thoughts & Mood
You may feel depressed, or have a persistently negative emotional states, such as anger, fear, guilt, or shame - or you could just feel emotionally numb, making it difficult to connect with other people, including your partner, children, or friends. You may have persistently negative beliefs about yourself, others, or the world.
Arousal & Reactivity
You may feel anxious or "on guard" a lot of the time. This can include being easily startled, or having difficulty concentrating. You may have racing thoughts, which may cause sleep issues. Anxiety may also present itself as irritability or anger - sometimes for no apparent reason.
Sources of Trauma
Trauma comes in many forms, and does not discriminate.
Childhood Experiences
- Sexual Abuse
- Physical Abuse
- Emotional Abuse
- Emotional Neglect
- Physical Neglect
- Witnessing Domestic Violence
- Parental Divorce
- Parental Addiction
- Parental Imprisonment
- Abandonment
- Foster Care
- Adoption
- Poverty
- Homelessness
Sexual Violence
- Sexual Assault
- Rape
- Date Rape
- Rape by Intoxication
- Sexual Harassment
- Stalking
- Sex Trafficking
Domestic Violence
- Physical Abuse
- Emotional Abuse
- Controlling Behaviors
- Verbal Threats
- Narcissistic Abuse
- Sexual Abuse
- Religious Abuse
- Financial Abuse
Other Experiences
- Medical Trauma
- Childbirth Trauma
- Religious / Cult Abuse
- Racial Trauma
- Poverty
- Homelessness
- First Responder Experiences
- Military Experiences
- Serious Illness, or Injury
- Natural Disasters
- Acts of Terrorism
Schedule online and receive $20 off your first three sessions!
*Full value will be applied to your third session