Author: David Kraft
Trauma occurs after a distressing event or after a prolonged period of time involving stress or anxiety (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). During a traumatic event or sequence of events, individuals are so anxious that they are unable to cope. Sometimes, one traumatic event is enough to cause serious psychological problems for the individual concerned; however, other people experience prolonged periods of stress, fear and/or anxiety for months, years or even decades. All people are different. Some people are able to cope with stress and trauma better than others and, as a result, not all people who are exposed to trauma go on to experience psychological problems. There are many considerations to take on board when evaluating an individual’s likelihood of developing trauma-related problems—suffice it is to say, that it is a mixture of epigenetics, resilience and environmental factors. Some people who experience a great deal of distress go onto to develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Psychological distress can be caused by physical injury, particularly when the person feels that their sense of survival or security is in jeopardy. There are many examples of psychological trauma and these include rejection, embarrassment, being bullied, being harassed, sexual abuse, employment discrimination, domestic violence, paternalism, witnessing violence, abandonment, being in an abusive relationship, being involved in a physical or sexual assault, being the victim of an alcoholic parent, other childhood traumas and experiencing a life-threatening condition. There are also catastrophic natural and man-made disasters which can precipitate trauma and these include: earthquakes, flooding, domestic fires, terrorist attacks, transport or vehicle accidents, extreme poverty, and being involved in a war zone (either as military personal or as a civilian).
People who suffer from trauma develop a series of symptoms which are triggered by events which occur during the day—these can be sight, smells, places, sounds, or anything that has an associated with a past event. And, people often develop further triggers associated with a ‘fear of the fear’ as the condition worsens. Some people exhibit some stress responses—tachycardia, increased blood pressure, hyperhidrosis, dissociation, depersonalization, feeling as if their legs are like jelly and so forth—while others can experience full-blown panic attacks. Trauma victims are often hyper-aroused for a large part of the day. There are also, of course, those PTSD sufferers who experience sensations which involve a re-living of the original traumatic event, or events, and this is called a flashback. Trauma can be emotionally exhausting and can affect people’s sleep. Some develop insomnia, while other may experience nightmares or night terrors. In most instances, trauma has a deleterious effect on well being, self esteem and mood.
Treatment and David Kraft
The treatment of trauma needs careful handling and should be done by a psychotherapist or psychologist who has had additional training in this area. David Kraft is an integrative psychotherapist who has been undergone specialist training in psychological distress and trauma. David uses a combination of approaches in treatment including psycho-dynamic psychotherapy, solution-focussed counselling and dissociative imagery in hypnosis (Ibbotson & Williamson, 2010). He has worked with a range of trauma victims over the years and has seen excellent results. David also offers reduced rates for military and ex-military personnel. He has two clinics—one in Harley Street and the other in Enfield. To book a session or simply to make an enquiry, please telephone one of the numbers below.
David Kraft’s Consulting Rooms
10 Harley Street
London
W1G 9PF
Enfield Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy
70 Cosmopolitan Court
67 Main Avenue
Enfield
EN1 1GD
Appointments: 0207 467 8564/07946 579645