Healing from PTSD

KT* had difficulty sleeping, social anxiety, nightmares, and triggers.

That’s when she came to my office.

She described herself as both depressed and anxious… with a history of childhood and adult traumatic events that left her feeling scared and all alone.

KT frequently recalled being touched and abused as a child, but she thought she had moved past it. Then, she met someone later in life that she thought would love her and cherish her. He turned out to be abusive, hitting her or calling her names anytime he got upset with her.

All this led either to angry outbursts or fits of crying. She couldn’t remember all of the details about what happened to her, but sometimes she had bad dreams that woke her up at night. Then she had difficulty falling back asleep. She would become triggered by certain sounds or even smells, and she would begin to feel anxious or sad.

She also had difficulty trusting anyone. She loved going out but would frequently experience anxiety or panic attacks when she was in crowds and she didn’t understand why?

She was afraid to tell her story.

Would anyone believe her? She was afraid they would hear her story and judge her. She felt so much shame.

What’s wrong with me?
Why can’t I figure this out?
I should be over this by now.

These were all the things she frequently said to herself. She believed she should be stronger, that maybe she was weak and that’s why she couldn’t let it go. She finally decided that she would get the help she needed. She was tired of struggling and ready to heal, but she was afraid she would start crying and never stop. She was afraid that recalling the memories would be too hard, and she would not be able to handle them.

She had avoided them for so long. Tucked them away, never to be discussed. What would happen when she opened that door and let the memories out?

There in my office… that was the first time she had told her truths.

I knew she needed slow and steady work.

Patience, sensitivity, and client-honoring work were the keys to her success. She needed time to trust that she was safe, that she wasn’t going to be hurt or judged. We spent time getting to know each other.

Because KT had experienced so many events that made her feel powerless, it was important that she be able to determine the pace. So I honored her pace, moved when she was ready, reassuring her that I was not in a hurry. This helped her feel as if she had a voice. That she was in control, and she understood that I wasn’t going to make her recall something before she was ready.

After KT felt safe and heard, we moved into using EMDR…

… to help her process each traumatic event from her past.

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of treatment that helped KT reprocess the traumatic memories, so they no longer caused the nightmares, angry outbursts, and triggers.

At first KT was skeptical when I handed her the paddles that would buzz in her hands. I explained to her that I would be asking her a series of questions to help her recall the memories, and then I would turn on the tappers. Once the tappers were turned on, she would recall the memories and “let whatever happens happen without judging.”

KT sat back and began the process. She recalled the memories, sometimes not understanding what was happening; but I would reassure her and tell her, “Go with that.” KT would keep allowing the memories to go where they wanted to go, knowing that I was there to support her and help her move through the “stuck” memories.

After a while, KT noticed that her memories were changing. They were no longer painful and scary. Her new memories were different, stronger somehow. At the end of the session, I asked KT, “On a scale of 1-10, how disturbing does it feel to you now?” KT sat back amazed; the memory felt so far away, and it no longer felt painful. She could not believe it! She never thought this was possible!

Eventually, KT was able to recall the traumas without re-experiencing the emotions connected to them.

I always had a plan; but I let KT tell me what she needed… when she needed it.

Sometimes we just talked, at other times I helped her understand the negative thoughts that were holding her back.

It took time, but KT appreciated it. She liked the slow and steady pace that was geared just for her. It helped her feel as though she had a voice and wasn’t powerless.

When KT completed her treatment, she felt lighter, freed from her past, and connected to the world around her. She reported that, for the first time in her life, she was able to look at the traumatic events and not be triggered.

Her life was completely transformed. She was no longer afraid. She felt powerful, courageous, and joyful. She knew that she was healed from her PTSD.

If you’ve been through trauma, you know it changes everything.

When things happen to us that are shocking, scary, or make us feel powerless, it changes everything. It could be a car accident, war, an assault, or abuse. When things like this happen:

You don’t see the world in the same way. It no longer feels safe.

You believe that people will always let you down.

You experience moments of laughter and happiness, but you feel disconnected from it, as if it’s not you.

You go around feeling alone because no one knows or understands what you’re going through.

And the truth is, because the injury is on the inside and because it’s hard to explain, they don’t understand why you are different – why you seem angry, sad, distant, and disconnected.

Post-traumatic stress doesn’t have to be a life sentence.

You’re not the same… and you know it. And you’re probably wondering… will it always be like this? The answer to your question is… NO.

You don’t have to suffer with it for the rest of your life.

Your story can be one of victory… like KT’s. You don’t have to live with PTSD. You can heal.

You’re just one phone call away from a whole new future!

Call today for a free consultation: (619) 352-0486.

*Name changed to preserve client confidentiality.