PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

Post-Traumatic Stress

* Trauma occurs in a multitude of ways. What may be a traumatic experience for one person may not be so for someone else. Everyone responds differently to events and when those events are traumatic to you, it can cause a response that is called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. Sometimes the stress response does not come out for months and other times you may experience it within days. Most people are familiar with PTSD because of the media coverage that this disorder has received in relation to people coming back from war or who have been involved in a serious traumatic experience that received news coverage. Having some knowledge of PTSD and experiencing it does not add up to the realization that you have PTSD. In fact, many people who have experienced a trauma at any point in their lifetime are not aware of the effects that trauma has had on them. You may have been through an event that was traumatic and not even realize that it has affected you in a significant way.

PTSD affects everyone in different ways. Some people may experience nightmares about the event; others may avoid certain places or people; and some people become so disabled by the trauma that their life no longer feels like their own. The degrees of response to trauma is one of the main reasons why people who experience any event that feels traumatic to them should seek consultation with mental health professionals like those here at Eden Counseling Center.

If you have questions about Post-Traumatic Stress and would like information regarding an assessment for yourself, a friend or family member, contact us and our qualified staff will be glad to assist you in beginning the process of getting help.

* Please note that this information is not intended for use as a method for diagnosing any psychological disorder and is intended to be used only as a general guideline by individual’s accessing this website for personal use. No inference of diagnostic criteria is implied and any self-diagnosis is emphatically discouraged.

A psychiatric referral is available for medication or inpatient care.
Eden Counseling Center therapist work with a number of primary care physicians and psychiatrists to ensure that if and when treatment may call for medication, you can receive the appropriate referral for as assessment by a medical doctor. We do not have control over the choices that the medical doctor makes regarding medication use or choice, but we do work closely with them to fully communicate the problems as we see them and make suggestions for medications as appropriate. Management of the medication is handled through the prescribing medical professional. It is important to the therapy process that your therapist be informed about any medications you are taking and any changes to medications. For that reason, your therapist will ask you for updates on how the medication is working for you and if you have experienced any changes mentally, physically or emotionally. It will also be important for your therapist to be able to communicate with your medical professional so that everyone is working together to help you get better. You will be asked to sign a release of information form that allows the Eden therapist to talk with your doctor. You should also sign a similar form at your doctor’s office that will allow her/him to speak to your therapist.