Therapy for Trauma in Bergen County, NJ

Sometimes what we think is anxiety or depression can actually be unresolved trauma.

Do you have intrusive thoughts?  Do you find yourself thinking about something that happened a long time ago and struggle to let it go?  Have images about a particular incident started to creep back into your mind when you least expect it? 

Do you remember a certain incident as if it happened just yesterday?  Do certain smells or sounds bring you back to a negative experience and cause you to relive it?

If any of the above resonate with you, you may have experienced trauma.  

Trauma symptoms can show up in many different ways. 

In adults, reliving trauma may manifest in the following ways:

• Reliving unwanted memories at the least expected times (flashbacks)
• Having nightmares or night terrors
• Being unable to calm yourself down when you remember the trauma
• Having difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Feeling excessively angry or nervous at random times
• Having an exaggerated startle response

Trauma can also manifest in:

• Feeling numb, dissociated
• Feeling sad and “removed”
• Struggling to make or maintain healthy friendships or romantic relationships
• Using substances, such as alcohol or marijuana to avoid feelings related to the trauma
• Reacting harshly to sudden noises or unwanted touch
• Self-harming or having suicidal thoughts

In children, witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event can lead to:

• Nightmares about the event
• Engaging in symbolic play that reenacts the experience
• Sleep disturbances
• Irritability and anger
• Detachment and emotional numbing
• Excessive fear of separating from a trusted figure

Sometimes, unprocessed trauma can take over and make us feel as if we’re losing our minds.  But, it doesn’t have to be this way any longer.

Dealing with resurfacing and intrusive thoughts can be confusing and lonely, but therapy can help. Different treatment modalities such as EMDR can bring unprocessed trauma to the forefront and help you release it for good. You can move on from this, and in many cases it only takes a few sessions to start noticing the difference.

Healing from trauma is truly possible, when you have the right support. Get started today.