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Dealing With Trauma
Published September 29, 2011 | 
Trauma is any event that causes us to feel helpless and terrified. Trauma can be physical and/or emotional. Physical traumacauses an injury to the body like a broken bone. Emotional trauma is an injury to your thoughts and feelings. Sometimes a physical trauma causes emotional trauma; sometimes it doesn’t. For example, someone could be attacked and hurt physically but not emotionally. Or someone could be hurt emotionally but not physically.
Trauma can come from many sources:
Car accidents Death of loved ones
Witnessing or experiencing injuries War experiences
Natural Disasters Domestic violence
Abuse, rape or assault Gang violence
Illness and disease Any other emotional or physical pain
Trauma can be primary or secondary.
Primary trauma is when the traumatic event happens to you personally, like if you are in an accident.
Secondary trauma is when the traumatic event happens to someone else and it affects you too, like if you see someone in an accident.
Both kinds of traumatic events can cause emotional symptoms.
A symptom is something you can see or feel that tells you something may not be right with the person. It is the body’s way of telling us something needs… Continue reading
Trauma and Depression
Published September 29, 2011 | Download the PPT file on Trauma and Depression:
Trauma and Depression (4.9 MiB, 533 hits)
Trauma and Addiction
Published September 29, 2011 | Download the PPT file on Trauma and Addiction:
Trauma and Addiction (1.9 MiB, 387 hits)
Coping strategies II
Published September 29, 2011 | Ways I Cope: Checklist
I distance myself from the situation.
I distance myself from myself.
I use relaxation techniques.
I become very aware of the needs and emotions of others.
I learn or develop special skills.
I debate things within myself.
I create appropriate boundaries with other people.
I show a sense of humor. I try to find something to laugh at.
I do something creative.
I educate myself.
I find a physical release (walk, swim).
I do art work.
I write in a journal.
I work at a hobby.
Assertiveness II
Published September 29, 2011 | The Life Skill of Keeping Boundaries for the Trauma Survivor
What is a Boundary?
A boundary is an invisible “barrier” between you and other people. It is the limit you set for yourself that you will not go beyond, and beyond which others are not welcome. Often when there is trauma in a person’s background it is difficult to have a clear sense of boundaries. As a result, there is a tendency to either have a huge wall that keeps everyone out, or no boundaries, allowing others to take advantage of or hurt you. It is healthy to have a good sense of where you are comfortable or uncomfortable and to honor those feelings. Please take the enclosed “Survey on Boundaries” and get an idea where your boundaries are.
Comparing Healthy Versus Unhealthy Boundaries
The following two lists describe people with healthy boundaries or unhealthy boundaries. Mark which of the statements sound most like you.
People with Healthy Boundaries
_____Know what kind of information to share with people on each level of relationship.
_____Do not allow others to hurt them.
_____Trust people in degrees as they demonstrate their trustworthiness.
_____Know what they will allow others to do.
_____Have clear… Continue reading
Interpreting the DES
Published September 27, 2011 | Mean DES Scores Across Populations for Various Studies
General Adult Population 5.4
Anxiety Disorders 7.0
Affective Disorders 9.35
Eating Disorders 15.8
Late Adolescence 16.6
Schizophrenia 15.4
Borderline Personality Disorder 19.2
PTSD 31
Dissociative Disorder (NOS) 36
Dissociative Identity Disorder 48
(MPD)
Items from the DES for Each of the Three Main Factors of Dissociation:
Amnesia Factor: This factor measures memory loss, i.e., not knowing how you got somewhere, being dressed in clothes you don’t remember putting on, finding new things among belongings you don’t remember buying, not recognizing friends or family members, finding evidence of having done things you don’t remember doing, finding writings, drawings or notes you must have done but don’t remember doing.
Items — 3, 4, 5, 8, 25, 26.
Depersonalization/Derealization Factor: Depersonalization is characterized by the recurrent experience of feeling detached from one’s self and mental processes or a sense of unreality of the self. Items relating to this factor include feeling that you are standing next to yourself or watching yourself do something and seeing yourself as if you were looking at another person, feeling your body does not belong to you, and looking in a mirror and not recognizing yourself. Derealization is the… Continue reading
Dissociation Brochure II
Published September 27, 2011 | How to Recognize Dissociation and
What to Do About It
Larry Beall, Ph.D.
The purpose of this information is to assist in the identification of dissociation and to furnish a few suggestions as to what can be done about it. What is dissociation? It is the opposite of association. When things are associated they are connected with one another, such as members of a group. When things become dissociated, they become separated from a previous association. A person can become dissociated from the group and no longer be considered a member.
There are two main types of dissociation. 1) ordinary and 2) traumatic. Ordinary dissociation is something we have all experienced. For example, when driving down a boring stretch of freeway, the driver may be day-dreaming or be preoccupied with something and become unaware of her surroundings. A period of time may pass without the driver being aware of the passage of time or the miles that have been driven. This example of ordinary dissociation simply means her conscious mind has become dissociated from the part of her mind that is doing the driving. You can probably think of other examples when you have experienced ordinary dissociation in… Continue reading
DES Adolescent
Published September 27, 2011 | Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale
(A-DES), Version 1.0
Judith Armstrong, Ph.D., Frank W. Putnam, M.D., Eve Bernstein Carlson, Ph.D.
DIRECTIONS
These questions ask about different kinds of experiences that happen to people. For each question, circle the number that tells how much that experience happens to you. Circle a “0″ if it never happens to you, circle a “10″ if it is always happening to you. If it happens sometimes but not all of the time, circle a number between 1 and 9 that best describes how often it happens to you. When you answer, only tell how much these things happen when you HAVE NOT had any alcohol or drugs.
Example:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
(Never) (Always)
1. I get so wrapped up in watching TV, or playing video games, that I don’t have any idea what’s going on around me.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
(Never) (Always)
2. I get back tests or homework that I don’t remember doing.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
(Never) (Always)
3. I have strong feelings that don’t seem like they are mine.
0 1… Continue reading
CDC II
Published September 27, 2011 | Child Dissociative Checklist (CDC)
Version 3.0
Name: ________________________________ Date: __________ Age: _____ Sex: M F
Below is a list of behaviors that describe children. For each item that describes your child now or within the past 12 months, please circle 2 if the item is very true of your child. Circle 1 if the item is somewhat or sometimes true of your child. If the item is not true of your child, circle 0.
0 1 2 1. Child does not remember or denies traumatic or painful experiences that are known to have occurred.
0 1 2 2. Child goes into a daze or trance-like state at times or often appears “spaced out.” Teachers may report that he or she “daydreams” frequently in school.
0 1 2 3. Child shows rapid changes in personality. He or she may go from being shy to being outgoing, from feminine to masculine, from timid to aggressive
0 1 2 4. Child is unusually forgetful or confused about things that he or she should know, e.g. may forget the names of friends, teachers or other important people, loses possessions or gets lost easily.
0 1 2 5. Child has a very poor… Continue reading
Pain-Why people don’t let go of it
Published September 27, 2011 | Reasons People Don’t Let Go of their Pain
To wish to be well is part of becoming well. Seneca
Premature forgiveness
Identity
shame or feeling unworthy
I don’t deserve to feel better
it’s punishment
it’s power
If the pain is dealt with the trauma really happened
It’s a role
It’s a way of connecting to the environment and others
It’s companionship when lonely
I pain therefore I am
It distracts you from other pain, problems, and things
It is a way of avoiding responsibility
It keeps you from dealing with issues or people-It simplifies life
If you are a victim of pain you don’t have to be accountable
Meaning in pain- martyrdom
It’ a way of getting drugs.
Altered state of consciousness
The pain is part of the belief system
It’s an escape
What if I’m whole and not good enough?
What am I going to do without pain?
I’m afraid to be whole-no more excuses
Pride-I can’t just be the person I am, what of you is there really without it?
Self-acceptance is a problem. Pain makes it less an issue.
Fear-of the unknown.
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