PTSD Archives - Charmed Counseling

Birth Trauma: An Overlooked Problem in Mental Health

Would it surprise you to hear that emotional trauma after giving birth is common? Approximately 1/3 of women report having a traumatic experience during the birth process and approximately 9% of birthing women develop PTSD following birth. In addition, trauma from giving birth also affects the development and severity of postpartum depression and other postpartum mood disorders.

I am a former midwife as well as a trauma-focused counselor. I can say with certainty that birth trauma is often overlooked. Women are told things like “Be grateful that you have a healthy baby.” A traumatic birth experience can be isolating, and women often feel invalidated when they try to discuss it. There is also a belief that trauma is a normal part of birth, which furthers the feelings of isolation when a new mom has a difficult time processing their traumatic experience.

So, what makes a birth experience traumatic? If you feel that your birth experience was traumatic, it was. We all have different experiences with life situations and what one person finds traumatic, another does not. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a trauma. Bottom line: If it felt traumatic, it was traumatic.

There are several things that are more likely to lead a woman to feel her experience was traumatic. A very long or very short labor, being out of control or feelings of a loss of dignity or modesty can all cause feelings of trauma. Having impersonal or indifferent medical care or having medical care that doesn’t respect your autonomy and decision making can be traumatic as well. Not being listened to or not having things adequately explained to you can also negatively affect your feelings about your birth. Having inadequate emotional support during the labor and birth process can be traumatic as well. Having medical complications, having your baby in the NICU, or having unsupportive postpartum care can also be traumatic. Having an unexpected outcome or having a stillbirth can obviously also be traumatic.

Birth can also be traumatic with it presses on other types of traumas. A common correlation in experiencing birth traumatically can be having a history of sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse. Birth often entails situations where you don’t feel like you can maintain modesty. It involves the same parts as sexual assault. Often the words medical staff uses or the medical process itself can be a trigger for sexual assault survivors. If you know this before birth, it is important to share your history with your care-providers and create a plan to reduce the possibility of triggering events.

It is important to point out that mothers are not the only ones who can experience birth trauma. Fathers or other support people can experience trauma during the birth process as well. As much as new mothers’ experiences with trauma in the birth room are often overlooked, fathers and other support people receive practically no recognition for the difficulty they often experience by watching a traumatic situation. It seems very reasonable that watching someone you love experience trauma or witnessing a scary medical complication can cause feelings of trauma.

Because birth trauma is so isolating, it is important to talk about it with someone who will be supportive of how you view your experience. Talking to a counselor is a wonderful step. It is important to note that even counselors sometimes don’t know to ask about birth experiences so don’t be afraid to speak up. Most counselors have a working knowledge of trauma so they will recognize the signs and symptoms once you explain the situation. You might also seek out friends or family members who you know have had similar experiences. Finding someone to validate your experience and feelings is an important step towards healing.

What can be done to reduce the risk of birth trauma? Ensuring you are educated about the birth process and have good emotional support throughout your labor and birth is a good start. Consider hiring a birth doula, a professional who can help you emotionally and physically through the birth as well as helping your partner support you effectively. Having communication with your medical staff and practicing speaking your needs ahead of time can also be very helpful. If you know that modesty is important to you, let the staff know that you need to remain as modest as possible. You can’t always prevent medical complications or other factors that can lead to a higher rate of trauma but feeling as in control as possible will help you navigate through difficult situations.

If you have experienced a birth trauma, there are counselors at Charmed who specialize in these situations and are here to help. Call us today to get scheduled!

By Jessica Weed, MS, LMHC-A

Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD

Prolonged Exposure Therapy is a type of psychotherapy that specifically treats Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is evidence-based, meaning that research has shown its effectiveness in treating people with PTSD. Many people who undergo Prolonged Exposure no longer have significant PTSD symptoms after completing treatment, and only 6% of people have a relapse of PTSD in the future. It is considered a first-line treatment for PTSD.

When people have PTSD, they often avoid people, places, and things that remind them of the traumatic event. Avoidance can be a healthy coping mechanism in situations where there is real and actual danger. However, avoiding relatively safe situations, as well as thoughts and feelings related to the trauma, can perpetuate PTSD symptoms. Exposure helps a person to face their fears and learn that they can overcome them and that most situations are not dangerous. It also helps the person to learn that thoughts and feelings are not dangerous as well, even though they are disturbing and uncomfortable to manage.

The main components of Prolonged Exposure are in-vivo exposures and imaginal exposures. In in-vivo exposures, a person puts themselves in safe situations that they have been avoiding. This may include public places, smells, songs and scenes in movies, and other situations. When a person does this, over time, their anxiety reduces and they build confidence that they can handle different situations.

The second main part of Prolonged Exposure is imaginal exposure. In imaginal exposure, a person tells their trauma story throughout the session, and re-hears this story on a daily basis. While intense and scary at first, the story eventually becomes less distressing to talk about. A person may learn new perspectives of the trauma and no longer feel like it is controlling their life. Although difficult, this is a major step towards healing PTSD.

Prolonged Exposure therapy typically lasts 10-15 weeks, with weekly 90 or 60 minute sessions. It is a short-term, intensive therapy that requires daily treatment work between sessions. If you are interested in doing the work to overcome PTSD, schedule a free consultation with Taylor Hocking, LMFTA, SUDP at 509-768-6852.

Common Reactions to Trauma.

After experiencing a traumatic event, it can be difficult to cope with everyday life. A person may begin to think, feel, and behave differently than they used to. Some people have experienced trauma early in life and it can be hard to compare their lives to before the trauma happened. Regardless of how long ago the trauma occurred, these are a list of common experiences those who have experienced trauma have:

Frequent negative emotions, and struggling to experience positive emotions. Common emotions might include: guilt, shame, anxiety, anger, depression
Certain things might remind you of the trauma and may trigger negative thoughts and emotions
Having intrusive thoughts about the trauma such as flashbacks and nightmares. Sometimes, these flashbacks and nightmares can feel very vivid and that the trauma is happening all over again
Becoming easily startled and jumpy
Difficulty concentrating
Feeling out of control or that you are going crazy
Trouble sleeping
Avoiding people, places and things that remind you of the trauma. This could include avoiding thoughts and feelings about the trauma
Forgetting some parts of the trauma
Emotional numbness
Feeling detached from yourself or your surroundings
Believing that the world or other people are dangerous
Having a negative view of self or other people
Crying spells
Thoughts of harming yourself or thoughts of suicide
Feeling angry and aggressive/being snappy with others
Self-destructive behavior, such as reckless driving, drug and alcohol abuse, or other risky behaviors
Relationship difficulties, and struggling to feel emotionally and sexually intimate with others
Loss of interest in sex and physical affection

If you are experiencing some of these symptoms after experiencing a traumatic event, you are not alone. These are common symptoms that many people experience. Fortunately, therapy can help to alleviate these symptoms. There are several effective treatments for trauma-related mental health issues, some of them including Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and others.

If you are interested in learning more about treatment options, there are several counselors at Charmed Counseling who may be able to assist you. Taylor Hocking, LMFTA, SUDP is trained in Prolonged Exposure and EMDR. Contact 509-768-6852 for a free consultation.

References
Foa, E. B., Hembree, E. A., Olasov Rothbaum, B., & Rach, S. A. M. (2019). Prolonged exposure therapy for ptsd (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that occurs in some people after experiencing a traumatic event. While many people have believed that it is only diagnosed in combat veterans, there are multiple traumatic experiences that can cause PTSD. PTSD is a common diagnosis: about 10% of women and 4% of men in the United States will have PTSD at some point in their lives.

In order to have PTSD, a person must have experienced certain traumatic events. These include actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. This can occur by directly experiencing the event, witnessing it happen to other people, or learning about the event happening to a close loved one. Another situation PTSD can develop is in being exposed multiple times to traumatic details or events, such as 911 operators hearing traumatic stories.

Traumatic symptoms are normal within the first couple of months after experiencing a trauma. If these symptoms persist after 1 month of experiencing the trauma, a person may have PTSD. While this is a list of some potential PTSD symptoms, it is not a way to diagnose a person; an assessment must be made by a mental health professional. Some of these symptoms include:

Intrusive symptoms. These include experiences such as nightmares, flashbacks, or unwanted thoughts of the event. These may be in response to things that remind a person of the event, or they can come on randomly.
Avoidance symptoms. This includes avoiding things that remind the person of thoughts, feelings, and memories of the traumatic event. A person may start to withdraw from other people and be less interested in activities that they used to enjoy.
Negative mood. A person might feel detached from others and struggle to experience positive emotions. It is common to experience feelings of sadness, guilt, anger, rage, and shame. It is very common for people to begin to believe that the world and other people are dangerous and cannot be trusted. Many people with PTSD also blame themselves for the event.
Hyperarousal symptoms. A person may begin to feel more on guard, aware of their surroundings, become easily startled, struggle to concentrate, have sleep issues, and anger outbursts.

It is normal to struggle with some of these symptoms after a traumatic event. As time progresses, many people will recover from these symptoms as the brain naturally heals itself. If you are still experiencing PTSD symptoms several months after the traumatic event, it is helpful to get treatment for it. If the traumatic event happened more than a year ago, it is very unlikely that your symptoms will go away on their own. The good news is that there are several treatments that are very effective for PTSD, even multiple years after the event. The most evidenced based treatments for PTSD include Prolonged Exposure, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Cognitive Processing Therapy.

Taylor Hocking, LMFTA, SUDP is trained in Prolonged Exposure and EMDR. If you are interested in learning more, contact 509-768-6852 for a free consultation.