Trauma

Trauma

Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders are disorders in which exposure to a traumatic or stressful event has occurred and an individual is experiencing mental health symptoms related to that event after a normal recovery period. There is a wide variety of types of trauma disorders, including attachment-based disorders (Reactive Attachment Disorder, Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder), and prolonged stressor disorders (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Acute Stress Disorder, and Adjustment Disorders). Trauma disorders can occur across the lifespan and can even occur multiple times in an individual’s life, which could lead to a more complex trauma symptom presentation. Most individuals who have experienced a traumatic event do develop stress-based symptoms, and most individuals’ symptoms do resolve within a few months, but there are some individuals who have symptoms that continue after a normal recovery period. These individuals sometimes are unaware that the mental health symptoms they are experiencing are actually a trauma- or stressor-related disorder and that proper evaluation and treatment is needed. At Ally Psychiatry, we offer evaluation and treatment services (medication management and therapy) for Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders for patients of all ages. Within attachment-based disorders, children display difficult emotional reactions to caregivers and can be overly withdrawn or overly attached. These children can also have difficulties with appropriate attachment to parents and others, as well as other social impairments. Usually, those children have experienced a traumatic event early in life, such as abuse or change of caregiver, and evaluation and treatment is needed for symptom reduction and stability to occur. In addition, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), has symptoms that present after exposure to a life-threatening event, injury, or abuse situation that causes ongoing symptoms of distressing memories of the event, nightmares of the event, possible flashbacks of the event, prolonged distress when thinking about the event, and possible physical reactions to cues that reminding one of the event. In addition, PTSD can involve changes of cognitions and emotions associated with the event, as well as changes in reactivity levels when reminded of the event. Other disorders in this category have symptoms related to PTSD, but for a shorter duration and at a less intense level, such as Adjustment Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder.