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Jan Slack

La Mesa Marriage & Family Therapist

You are here: Home / Trauma and Abuse

Trauma and Abuse

Sadness woman against standing manTrauma and abuse can be physical or psychological. Both can become debilitating forces when left unaddressed. My goal is to help clients move away from traumatic or abusive situations if they are still in them, and to develop strategies to face and move through them once they are in the past.

Trauma

Emotional and psychological trauma occurs as a result of extraordinarily stressful events that destroy your sense of security. This makes you feel vulnerable in a dangerous world.

Usually traumatic experiences stem from a situation that threatened life or safety, but this isn’t always the case. Physical harm does not have to necessarily be involved. What is traumatizing is your subjective emotional experience of the event, not the objective facts.

Causes of emotional or psychological trauma

An event will most likely lead to emotional or psychological trauma if:

  • It happened unexpectedly.
  • You were unprepared for it.
  • You felt powerless to prevent it.
  • It happened repeatedly.
  • Someone was intentionally cruel.
  • It happened in childhood.

Emotional and psychological trauma can be caused by single-blow, one-time events, such as a horrible accident, a natural disaster, or a violent attack. Trauma can also stem from ongoing, relentless stress, such as living in a crime-ridden neighborhood or struggling with cancer.

Commonly overlooked causes of emotional and psychological trauma

  • Falls or sports injuries
  • Surgery (especially in the first 3 years of life)
  • The sudden death of someone close
  • A car accident
  • The breakup of a significant relationship
  • A humiliating or deeply disappointing experience
  • The discovery of a life-threatening illness or disabling condition

Symptoms of emotional and psychological trauma

Physical and emotional reactions to traumatic events or repeated trauma are very different.

Emotional and psychological symptoms of trauma:

  • Shock, denial, or disbelief
  • Anger, irritability, mood swings
  • Guilt, shame, self-blame
  • Feeling sad or hopeless
  • Confusion, difficulty concentrating
  • Anxiety and fear
  • Withdrawing from others
  • Feeling disconnected or numb

Physical symptoms of trauma:

  • Insomnia or nightmares
  • Being startled easily
  • Racing heartbeat
  • Aches and pains
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Edginess and agitation
  • Muscle tension

Abuse

Violence and Abuse are used to gain and maintain control over you. Abusers often utilize fear, guild, shame, and intimidation to wear you down. They’ll commonly threaten, hurt, or hurt those around you.

General warning signs of domestic abuse

People who are being abused may:

  • Seem afraid or anxious to please their partner
  • Go along with everything their partner says and does
  • Check in often with their partner to report where they are and what they’re doing
  • Receive frequent, harassing phone calls from their partner
  • Talk about their partner’s temper, jealousy, or possessiveness

Warning signs of physical violence

People who are being physically abused may:

  • Have frequent injuries, with the excuse of “accidents”
  • Frequently miss work, school, or social occasions, without explanation
  • Dress in clothing designed to hide bruises or scars (e.g. wearing long sleeves in the summer or sunglasses indoors)

Warning signs of isolation

People who are being isolated by their abuser may:

  • Be restricted from seeing family and friends
  • Rarely go out in public without their partner
  • Have limited access to money, credit cards, or the car

The psychological warning signs of abuse

People who are being abused may:

  • Have very low self-esteem, even if they used to be confident
  • Show major personality changes (e.g. an outgoing person becomes withdrawn)
  • Be depressed, anxious, or suicidal

(Source: www.helpguide.org)

Therapy Can Help

MY SERVICES INCLUDE COUNSELING FOR:

  • PTSD
  • Trauma & Abuse
  • Depression & Anxiety
  • Eating Disorders
  • Relationship Issues
  • Women’s Issues
  • Children & Adolescents
  • Self-Injurious Behavior

Have Questions About Therapy?

Find answers
and help here.

Jan Slack, MFT
La Mesa Marriage & Family Therapist
5480 Baltimore Dr., Suite 202
La Mesa, CA 91942
Phone: (619) 335-5373
email: janslack@gmail.com

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