Uncovering PTSD: Part 4 “I’m not alone.”
By: Kyle J Smith, Marketing Intern
This is the fourth and final post for our month-long series on PTSD during PTSD Awareness month (June). In Part 1, we uncovered the high rates of PTSD in urban and poor communities. In Part 2, we looked at the long term effects of childhood trauma and the symptoms of PTSD. In Part 3, we dove deep into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and shared ways to combat negative thoughts. In today’s fourth and final installment, we’ll discuss treatment priorities for PTSD, group therapy, and meet Bridgette, whose story of revealing strength shows us what’s possible for people living with PTSD:
“To overcome, I’ve had to look fear square in the face and not shrink, run or hide from it. It’s taken courage, determination and work.” That’s Bridgette, a neighbor who first joined our Women’s Group Therapy in 2014 after getting injured on the job and struggling through a season of unemployment. “I went through a lot in those years and was just about ready for it all to be over. I was in a bad way when I went up to Reconciliation Services. I was trying hard to go forward with everything, but I was about done.”
Through Group and Individual Therapy at RS, Bridgette’s mindset shifted 180 degrees, “I’m definitely a changing person... I’m more peaceful, my face is softer, and I have greater confidence in myself,” she said.
This renewed confidence is a result of Bridgette regaining control of her life and improving external factors – she went back to school and got her GED, her kids are progressing in school, her health has improved and she lost weight, she returned to enjoyable activities like cooking good meals for her kids, and she’s managing her budget.
Bridgette’s confidence was also renewed because she learned to manage internal factors, “’I’ve begun to learn to deal with the deep trauma I suffered from the past, and the recurring nightmares and feelings of powerlessness,” she said.
For Bridgette, deep trauma from her childhood created lasting wounds. “I grew up in a drug house,” she said. “Anyone could come in and use, and drink. If they had nothing, they could buy or turn a trick for what they wanted. Uncles, aunts, boyfriends, girlfriends, their kids and strangers.”
Bridgette rarely got a good night’s sleep. She and her 7 siblings practically raised themselves. Her mother was often gone for days at a time, in and out of jail, and even suffered at the hands of Bridgette’s father, “The very worst thing I saw was my dad beating up my mom. He beat her up all the time. The last time she went into the hospital her face was black and blue and they said she may lose her eyesight.”
These horrifying memories contributed to Bridgette’s PTSD as an adult. “Those are the memories that would haunt me in my nightmares—seeing her bruised and bloody face! I didn’t like to talk about the past let alone look at it,” she said. “Going back was almost like seeing it happening again today and feeling everything all over. “
At RS our therapeutic practices are patient-led and trauma-focused, and much of the work focuses on helping our neighbors, like Bridgette, identify and activate their inner strengths, and helping them to build their resilience in order to better cope with difficulties–past, present, and future.
The National Center for PTSD says that trauma-focused psychotherapies are the most highly recommended type of treatment for PTSD. In addition, peer support groups can be a worthwhile addition to a treatment plan. A study published in the National Library of Medicine found “numerous potential benefits to a peer support program, including social support, purpose and meaning, normalization of symptoms and hope, and therapeutic benefits.”
RS began our first Women’s Therapy Group in 2011 in an effort to address the root causes and the effects of poverty, violence, disinvestment, lack of education, racism, and homelessness that had left deep scars in our community. Through our REVEAL (Restore, Engage, Value, Encourage, Act, Lead) Program, we now offer Individual Therapy for men and women, Group Therapy for men and women, and Support Groups for men and women dealing with PTSD and depression.
In our last blog post, we dove deep into the treatments our therapy team uses here at RS to help our neighbors with PTSD. Today, we asked Angela Williams, one of our therapists, to share some of the top priorities she has when treating PTSD:
Build self esteem to help a person get unstuck: A traumatic and unrelenting event from the past that is causing PTSD can convince a person that they are not lovable or that they are incapable of progress. Making a change always starts by believing in yourself.
Start by building trust: The primary difficulty of treating PTSD is that healing the pain requires experiencing the pain. People must believe that they are in a safe place and with someone they trust.
Have unconditional regard for the person: Some days, a person won’t feel up to exploring their own traumatic wound. The therapist must have a genuine relationship with the person, and stay connected even if they fall off for a moment.
Know the triggers: Triggers are outward prompts that cause the person to relive their traumatic experience. These triggers can occur anywhere, even during therapy (in the hands of a professional, should be careful and intentional, with the goal of healing). It’s important that loved ones know the triggers as well, so they can help create a welcoming environment for the person.
Hold the person accountable to their goals: Healing can only happen if a person wants to heal, which means being fully bought into their own success. Remind them of the goals they set for themselves and encourage them to keep working towards them.
Have resources on hand to help in any way: Get stable and healthy at the same time. At RS, we offer our therapy clients case management, which includes rental and utilities assistance, help with medical bills, and much more, so that the person can get their inner and outer life in order at the same time.
The client knows what’s best for them: Healing can look different for each of us. Trauma separates people from their true strength, but a strengths-based approach acknowledges that we have the strength within us to heal and we do know what we need to heal.
The mind is powerful: Trauma literally rewires the brain in a way that can inflict pain and lessen coping skills. However, the mind can learn and use new tools in order to heal. There are many treatments and intentional exercises that can help a person manage the lasting impact of their traumatic experience and find healing.
Bridgette said that she learned a lot in Individual and Group Therapy about herself and how to best progress in life. “(Now I know) I’m not alone! I have resources to help me to continue to learn and grow. I’m smart and I can help others through what I’ve learned and experienced. I’ve got initiative, I’ve got the ability to take charge of a situation, but I’m not afraid to reach out for help when I need it,” she said. “If it wasn't for this program, I don’t know if I would have ever decided to change my ways or the way I think.”
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