Recognizing trauma
The words “trauma” and “abuse” suggest horrific events. However, research suggests that any situation in which we experience prolonged helplessness has the potential to create trauma. These may be events that occurred during childhood or adolescence or may be situations we face as an adult.

Signs and symptoms of trauma include depression, anxiety, addictive disorders and codependence. Trauma tends to be re-experienced and can negatively impact how you function years after the situation has resolved.

The good news is that we are accumulating more information on how trauma is stored in the brain. What we now know offers strategies which are much more effective in treating trauma.

One particularly promising treatment is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). While scientists are still determining how this treatment works, how the techniques impact the brain, research has demonstrated its effectiveness with certain types of trauma. Click on this link for more detailed information about EMDR.