Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Therapy

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Overview

You jump out of your skin if you hear a loud noise. You are angered easily or sad, feel cut off from people around you. You have trouble sleeping or nightmares. Worst of all, perhaps you experience these symptoms when least expected, drawing unwanted attention, and you may feel very much alone. But you are not alone. Millions of people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an invisible illness; to others, you may seem fine, but in reality, you are battling symptoms that make it challenging to have meaningful relationships, satisfying careers, and reach your fullest potential. It’s possible that you or someone you already know suffers from these symptoms. Maybe it’s a family member, a friend, or even yourself.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 7% percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. However, a large number of individuals will go undiagnosed and untreated.

What is PTSD?

PTSD occurs when the brain experiences events that overwhelm our capacities to respond. It affects millions of people, at every age, who suffer in silence. They may feel anxious, isolated, and as if no one understands them. The experience can be anything from an illness, a divorce, a humiliating experience, verbal, physical, or sexual abuse. Sometimes an event from childhood, such as being bullied by one’s peers or disparaged by one’s parent, may also be traumatizing and leave residual effects. The effect of trauma can wreak havoc on our lives, causing anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, addiction, and anger issues. In essence, PTSD is the body continuing to defend against a threat that belongs in the past. When the traumatized brain thinks about the trauma, the person may feel that the experience was happening now with the strong emotions and physical sensations associated with it. These weighty feelings may be well hidden by highly functioning individuals but may feel trapped in their trauma—unable to process what happened and move on with their lives. This can, in turn, lead to broken relationships, stunted careers, addiction issues. The good news is that PTSD is highly treatable.

Greenwich Psychology Group clinicians have a depth and breadth of experience working with trauma. We integrate evidence-based and integrative modalities, including Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness Meditation. The most important factor is to restore a sense of control, improve coping skills, and increase resilience to lay the trauma to rest and grow from the experience.

To learn more about our treatment approach, click here.

Have Questions? Ask Our Experts

Take the GPG Symptom Checker

At Greenwich Psychology Group, our symptom checker helps clients track their symptoms of depression or anxiety. Taking the assessment doesn't provide a formal diagnosis, but it can help you determine what next steps you may need to take. The evaluation uses a series of questions to review the feelings and symptoms you've experienced over the past two weeks. The results will help you distinguish if professional help is the best next step.

Begin