What is trauma?
Trauma is the physical and psychological damage that can occur to your mind and body in response to extremely stressful events in your life. Psychological trauma often leaves a lasting impression on the way you think, feel, and behave.
Not everybody experiences lasting psychological damage after a traumatic event. Trauma only occurs if the event compromises your brain’s ability to process and recover from the stress.
How does trauma affect the brain?
Trauma can change the structure and function of your brain. Immediately after your brain suffers extreme trauma, your neurons — brain cells that transmit information to nerve, gland, and muscle cells — start to die. After a few days, new neurons and synapses — small spaces between cells — replace these dead cells to promote healing.
These next couple of weeks after a traumatic event are crucial for the healing process. Since your brain is malleable, trauma therapy during this time can help accelerate the healing process while preventing trauma from causing long-lasting damage to your brain.
What are the most common types of trauma?
A traumatic event is emotionally disturbing or even life-threatening. It can have a detrimental effect on your physical, emotional, or social well-being. Common traumatic experiences that the team at SpotLyte Behavioral Health treats include:
- Childhood neglect
- Death or loss of a loved one
- Emotional abuse
- Physical abuse
- Racism or discrimination
- Sexual abuse
- Violent attack
SpotLyte Behavioral Health has therapists trained in trauma therapy to help you work through lasting trauma.
What is trauma-focused therapy?
Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to help individuals understand their emotional, physical, and social responses to traumatic experiences. The goal of trauma-focused CBT is to change the way you respond to certain triggers so you have more control over your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
A trauma-focused therapist has specialized training to recognize the warning signs of trauma and understand its impact on an individual’s physical and mental health. This type of therapy seeks to prevent re-traumatization by teaching you positive coping mechanisms for responding to traumatic triggers.
To learn more about trauma-focused therapy, call SpotLyte Behavioral Health or schedule an appointment online today.
