June is National PTSD Awareness Month
June is PRIDE Month
“Trauma: So Much More Than You Think” – Nicole Robles, MA, LPC Henderson Consulting & EAP Services
What comes to mind when you hear the word trauma? Or the term posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Did you automatically think of military members, mentally ravaged by the horrors of war? You wouldn’t be wrong. But you would also be missing a much larger picture.
An official diagnosis of PTSD is something that is reserved for people who faced sexual violence or exposure to actual or threatened death. In these people, we can expect to see symptoms of intrusive thoughts or dreams, avoidance of places that might trigger memories of the events, disturbances of mood, dissociation, high reactivity, and forgetting significant aspects of the trauma. Often, addictions, violent behaviors, and suicidal thoughts and actions emerge. Posttraumatic stress disorder can be scary and overwhelming for the person suffering and for the supporters of that person, who often do not know how best to respond.
With this picture in mind, it is easy to forget–trauma happens to all of us. Simply defined, trauma is any distressing event that is beyond our ability to cope. Clients are sometimes surprised when we tell them that their experience of being bullied, growing up in a toxic home environment, the death of a pet, or the ending of a significant relationship also constitutes trauma. Many times, there is accompanying shame and frustration with themselves that they cannot “just get over it.”
So, perhaps you are not experiencing all those symptoms associated with PTSD. Check in with yourself. Do you sometimes have a reaction to a frustration that you recognize is incongruent with the size of the issue? Maybe you find yourself caught in a pattern of unhealthy relationships and cannot figure out why you keep choosing the same kinds of partners. Perhaps you feel physical pain or illness that does not have any clear medical explanation. If you seem unable to move past your past, it is possible that you are stuck in some unprocessed trauma
Our bodies and our brains store our unresolved trauma. When we are triggered, past becomes present, and we react to the pain of that which has not been mended. The good news is that we do not have to stay there. Our brains are wonderfully capable of healing and learning new ways of seeing the world.
Coming to therapy is a great place to start. It can be daunting to face your past hurts, big and small. Having a compassionate therapist to walk beside you and help create safety can make it just a little bit easier. There are many resources that can help support you and your loved ones on the journey. You just need to take the first step and reach out. Call Henderson Consulting & EAP Services at 719-380-1644 to schedule an appointment. Other great resources are listed below.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline:
800-273-8255
National Alliance on Mental Illness: offers support groups for those living with mental health issues and their families. There are NAMI chapters throughout the US. https://www.namicoloradosprings.org/
“Pride month is a worldwide celebration of self, identity, love, and triumph over judgment and marginalization.” – American Counseling Association
Brianna Hawk, MA, LPCC, NCC
Henderson Consulting & EAP Services
As we celebrate Pride Month, we recognize that individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community each have unique stories and intersections between their gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, race, ethnicity, religion, upbringing, and socioeconomic status. With all of this in mind, we acknowledge the distinct mental health needs of individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community as they navigate bias on systemic and individual levels.
Here at HCEAP, we offer therapeutic services that welcome ALL clients from diverse walks of life. Counselors are skilled at inviting clients to explore their personal identities; the dynamics of oppression on an individual, systemic, and institutional level; as well as work towards becoming an ally. We value our team of multiculturally competent counselors and hope to walk with you as you step into the fullness of who you are and pursue mental wellness.
From all of us at HCEAP, we wish you a happy Pride month!
