What Does a Trauma Therapist Do?

Traumatic memory (psychological trauma or psychological trauma) refers to memories that can cause psychological, emotional and even physiological abnormalities.

Will victims remember those terrible experiences after traumatic events? In fact, many people seem to know nothing about the traumatic experiences that they have experienced in the past, and that terrible experience seems to have passed from their The memory was completely erased.

However, this is not true forgetting. Due to the protective mechanism of human psychology, these traumatic memories are suppressed below the level of consciousness, making it difficult for people to recall. However, this memory is playing a role, affecting the behavior and emotions of the parties. And, after many years, it may be evoked.

Studies have shown that individuals who have suppressed painful memory show their own characteristics in terms of personality and psychiatric symptoms. At the same time, this memory itself is likely to be distorted. Recently, researchers have conducted a series of laboratory studies on this issue and found some results that are inconsistent with clinical research. Cognitive psychology methods cannot tell which memories are correct and which are wrong, but this method helps people to analyze this cognitive mechanism of traumatic memory depression and recovery, thereby revealing this phenomenon A deeper cause. ^[1]

This abnormal state may be slight, and after a period of time (usually within three months), self-adjustment can automatically heal. But there are also some trauma effects that last for a long time, often even for life. For more severe trauma, it is called "post-traumatic stress disorder" in the classification of psychology and psychiatry

People often judge the severity of trauma based on the severity of the traumatic event. They believe that if a person encounters a serious and terrible disaster (such as 9/11, the Southeast Asian tsunami, etc.), then he must have suffered severe trauma. On the contrary, if the trauma If the incident is not serious (such as a love affair or a workplace frustration, etc.), the person's mental damage will not be considered serious. In fact, this view is very wrong. For a person with a strong heart, a very serious traumatic event may not cause serious mental trauma. On the contrary, for a person who is more psychologically weak, an event that is generally considered not to be serious is enough to cause serious mental illness. trauma. Therefore, we judge the severity of a person's trauma not based on the severity of the trauma event, but on the psychological, emotional, and physical response of the party.

Mild trauma may be manifested as depressed mood, gloom, tears of sadness, decreased motivation for life, unwillingness to associate with others, lack of interest in life, etc. This situation is very common in our lives, and even strictly speaking, everyone must experience it many times in their own lives. This condition usually comes through the comfort and support of relatives and friends, self-regulation, and after a period of adjustment, it can heal itself without the need for professional treatment. However, if the above conditions persist for more than 3 months, you should consider seeking professional help. Treatment can be through medication, but can also be through non-drug counselling or psychotherapy.

Moderate trauma may be manifested by prolonged depression, pessimism, social loneliness and autism, or severe sleep disorders, anxiety, fear, timidity, and even suicidal tendency. It is often misdiagnosed as depression, neurasthenia, anxiety or phobia. After taking antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs did not work well. Therefore, special and special treatment methods for trauma will be effective. The treatment mainly relies on non-drug psychotherapy, and drug treatment can only play a supporting role.

Severe trauma is also known as PTSD. In addition to the above symptoms, it also has typical symptoms, such as memories or pictures of injury events that constantly appear in dreams, or are constantly repeated in the mind even in awake state. As a result, the victim is often in panic and pain, as if the traumatic event happened just now. This phenomenon is called "flashback". In addition, many normal scenes in life may become "trigger points" to induce traumatic memory, awakening memories and experiences of traumatic events, resulting in strong emotional and physiological reactions. More severe trauma, especially childhood trauma may also cause severe personality distortions and psychological abnormalities. In this case, a systematic and strict trauma treatment is needed to cure or improve.

Unfortunately, there are not many trauma therapists in our country who are strictly subject to strict systems. Therefore, a large number of trauma victims are treated as ordinary depression, neurasthenia, or neurosis, and its efficacy is very limited.

Prevalence of PTSD According to statistics from the American Psychiatry Association (APA), the overall prevalence of PTSD in the United States is 1 to 14%, with an average of 8%. The individual's lifetime risk is 3 to 58%. Women About twice as much as men. The German study found that the overall risk of disease in the population was only 1.3%, while the Algerian study showed that it was as high as 37.4%. At the same time, the risk of suicide was higher in the PTSD patients than in the general population, up to 19%. Generally speaking, the risk of PTSD caused by different stress events is different in different populations or individuals. Studies have shown that after a traffic accident, whether or not they are injured, about 25% of children will develop PTSD, and adolescents who lack parental care are more vulnerable to this disease. Physical or sexual abuse in childhood, 10 to 55% of patients with PTSD in adulthood, 50 to 75% of children with PTSD symptoms will continue into adulthood. Among juvenile offenders, the prevalence of PTSD is four times that of ordinary adolescents, and among them, women are twice as likely as men. Brimes's study of 8 air crash survivors found that 4 patients developed acute stress disorder one week after trauma, 3 patients had PTSD one month later, and 2 co-morbid depression disorders. Another study of 3,000 hospitalized soldiers in the Gulf War found that 13% of soldiers had PTSD. Goenjian et al. Surveyed 582 victims of the 1988 Spartak earthquake in the United States, 74% of whom had PTSD and 22% of whom had depression. Conlon et al. Studied 40 hospitalized patients with minor trauma after a traffic accident. About 75% of patients complained of intense mental pain after one week, 19% were diagnosed with PTSD after 3 months, and the prevalence rate was 9%. The patients' early mental pain severity, aging, and trauma severity are the main influencing factors of PTSD.

1. A safe therapeutic relationship is the foundation of any trauma treatment: most trauma comes from interpersonal relationships, that is, man-made trauma, such as crime. A neutral attitude is not suitable for treating trauma, which is different from ordinary psychotherapy.

2. Normalization of symptoms: Tell the patient that his response is a neuropsychological process and will automatically disappear as the wound is repaired. Explain to those patients with acute trauma that there will be those emotional reactions and psychosomatic reactions after a period of time, so that he can have a psychological adaptation and preparation time, which can reduce the incidence of PTSD. This process is called "psychological education".

3. Regain a sense of control: PTSD patients' sense of control of life is impaired, especially in the acute stage, impairment of self-control ability may occur. Provide meticulous help early, no matter how small it is, to help patients regain control. For example, let the patient choose a seat, choose whether to close the window, or close the curtains.

4. Maintain proper distance-techniques with the patient. Do not touch the patient at will to avoid trauma memories and fear experiences.

Traumatic memory establishes therapeutic relationship

The most important thing is safety, providing qualities that are completely opposite to traumatic situations.

1. Give the necessary safety information.

2. Make the patient feel that he is out of danger or can overcome the current crisis situation.

3. Make him feel he can choose and control his contact with the doctor.

4. Keep a proper distance from the patient to reduce the anxiety he may cause.

5. Patience and kindness.

6. Don't make the patient doubt your position, make him convinced that you just want to help him.

Traumatic memory therapy principles

1. Give power to the patient. Tell the patient, "You put in a lot of effort to see the psychologist, you are doing something good for yourself."

2. Promote patients to pay attention to themselves and real life.

3. Make the patient feel normal and controllable.

4. Stabilization should be done first, so that the patient can settle down from panic.

Progress of traumatic memory therapy

Stabilization, establishment of therapeutic relationship-differentiation, stability (growth), co-trauma, treatment relationship-growth, differentiation, stability, trauma work, new therapeutic relationship.

1. Establish a sense of security and trust.

2. Build a relaxed, mature, open and friendly atmosphere.

3. Excavate or create the patient's inner protection, safety and comfort.

4, re-face, understand and deal with the traumatic process