In her latest mental health article for Patient website, Sarah Graham explores how it can feel to have PTSD. As the article highlights:
‘Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects roughly one in ten people but, like many mental health issues, is widely misunderstood and surrounded by misconceptions.’
Unpacking PTSD
The article does a great job of suggesting that the conversation around PTSD needs to be widened to include the full spectrum of potential sufferers. Combat veteran organisations have done a great job of raising the profile of the suffering PTSD brings to those who have been traumatised by war. The fact that PTSD can be caused by so many other life events is often less understood and, as such, it can often go undiagnosed in sufferers. The article goes into depth on the subject, examining why PTSD is often mistaken for other Mental Health conditions, how it can lie dormant for long periods of time and the unexpected ways in which it can subsequently be triggered in the future.
Healing From Trauma
Dr Claudia Herbert, trauma specialist and founder of The Oxford Development Centre, lends her opinion at various points in the article. On the subject of recovery from PTSD she explains that each situation is very unique and needs to be handled with compassion and care:
“It’s very important that every treatment is tailored to each client’s individual needs; you can’t rush through repairing very painful things”
With patience and commitment to the healing process, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be managed and overcome so that it no longer has the power to debilitate those who have experienced traumatic events in their lives. At The Oxford Development Centre and The Cotswold Centre For Trauma Healing, we aim to help our clients develop strategies to build and strengthen their sense of safety and their inner resources, enabling them to process, integrate and heal from traumatic life experiences. Working using a positive growth model, many of our clients find that, once they process their painful experiences, they discover a new inner strength feeling more alive and engaged with the positive aspects of their lives.
