Van Der Kolk and Herman make the comparison and align PTSD from war zones and domestic violence as being the same. The attacks are spontaneous, the person feeling vulnerable and helpless.
A child exposed to family violence often has difficulties establishing trusting relationships as an adult
The trauma cycle
A person who has experienced trauma defined as something that is unbearable, feeling helpless and
frightened excrete stress hormones in the body that remain long after the danger has passed. Children are extremely vulnerable given their brain is still developing, the stress in the body and brain never returns to a normal baseline level.
Neuroscience
The right and left side of the brain do different things ! The right intuitive, emotional, creative the left
side rational, sequential, analytical. So, when someone experiences a trauma the right brain reacts
and the left not working. In fact, the re-traumatising of the experience in the past and the now continues in this perpetual cycle. A person may blame the other person, the situation, the circumstances but in fact , the right brain is being triggered by the 'now' moments even when
the real danger is long past.
The stress hormones are heightened and can lead to memory problems, difficulties with attention
span, irritability and sleep difficulties. A diagnosis of trauma PTSD can have similar symptoms and presentation to ADHD .
EMDR ( Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy ) approved by the WHO (World Health Organisation) has
a surprising high efficacy rate 77% described as being similar to exposure therapy.
EMDR is seen as more efficient ( less sessions telling the story ) and less traumatic ( not
having to repeat the story over and over again as with other therapies. The use of
bilateral stimulation ( eye movement and tapping ) helps to expose and desensitise the person to
the trauma/s. A person memory remains intact but the emotional reactivity to current and past triggers is subdued and calm allowing for the left side of the brain to do its work !
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