Reclaiming Life with a Trauma Intervention Program
It is one thing to endure the trauma from one specific event in life but it is entirely different to go through a trauma that might comprise many factors of pain and heartache that have been inflicted upon you. However, a complex trauma intervention provides purposeful solutions to not only bring the needed healing for the trauma but to help a person see they are not alone in the struggle.
Whether it is handling a trauma that only happened for a moment to battling the effects of a long-lasting trauma, help can be given to a person, no matter the age, to encourage a healthier path forward in life and prevent consideration of substance abuse or alcohol as the best way to cope.
What is complex trauma?
Complex trauma is classified as exposure to several traumatic events, usually seen of a “invasive, interpersonal nature.” These traumatic events could happen early in life, for various ages of children, and can leave lasting effects of trauma that may never be resolved without necessary professional help. Some effects include the inability to escape a “fight, flight, or freeze” mode of thought or action, lack of control over emotions, and a distorted sense of self.
If these events happen for children, this will manifest in adulthood with people struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and issues with mental health that could become the gateway for alcohol or drug abuse. If the events happen while as adults, such as domestic violence, battling to cope with the events could trigger changes in behavior, adopting harmful habits, and the unwillingness to get needed help.
Knowing these truths about complex trauma, time is of the essence in making sure a person gets the professional help they deserve to find the light in the darkness. The solution is complex trauma interventions, with mental health professionals and families coming together to let a person know what happened to them wasn’t right but is something that can be healed through a trauma intervention program.
Types of Trauma Intervention Programs for Complex Trauma
Known also as “trauma-focused treatment,” complex trauma interventions are clinical, evidence-based methods to intervene into a person’s thought process to reduce the effects of PTSD and other related trauma behavior through non-medicine means.
There are several methods available that are to cater to specific traumas and what the person is exhibiting of behavioral changes or struggles. Because it is complex trauma, there is not one method that cares for every trauma, so complex trauma interventions are best when handled by a licensed medical professional.
- Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing uses tones or gentle tapping to encourage the person to reprocess the trauma they have had and exchange it with healthier beliefs about the trauma.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy where the person evaluates with the counselor or therapist the connection between their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. As they discover those connections, the person can begin the process of changing how they act and interpret the trauma.
- “Talk therapy,” a form of psychotherapy, is where a licensed therapist will talk with a person about their feelings and emotions, looking to find where emotional stress is being experienced and what approach would be best to lessen the symptoms and strengthen the person mentally.
These are but a few of several therapies available to help people identify symptoms from complex trauma they have experienced and learn new ways to handle these events moving forward.
Ways for interventionists to help patients address trauma
The goal of the complex trauma interventions is to help a person realize how emotionally impacted they are by traumatic events in their lives. Some experienced the events at an early age, not realizing their current struggles might be connected to what happened in childhood.
The interventions are to have a person take a break from the daily routine and focus instead on processing their feelings, emotions, behaviors, and even internal thoughts to uncover how they are affected by complex trauma.
Controlled trials are performed to see how certain therapies can help a person cope with the trauma and what has been proven effective in treatment. The data also allows people to know the results are backed by scientific research and what they might expect of lasting healing.
Another way interventionists help their patients is by being a reassuring sounding board that what they are experiencing is not something in their head but actual trauma that needs healing. Some people aren’t getting help because they have been told what they are feeling is nothing or not a big deal, especially when it comes to those abused and what their abusers tell them. Being a listening, clinical ear can help people realize this is dangerous trauma they have endured and wasn’t something they deserved in any way.
Interventionists also want people to know that they have control again in their lives, whether it is knowing they have control over the trauma and its accompanying emotions, or that they can have healthy relationships again, or even that they have the security of professional care on hand. Letting people know there is recovery and hope for their return to normalcy is the greatest result complex trauma intervention can bring.
Get help with Complex Trauma Intervention
If you or someone you know is experiencing struggles due to complex trauma, there is help available for long-lasting recovery. Intervention.com seeks to provide the necessary resources and professional guidance to let those who have endured multiple aspects of trauma know they are not alone in the battle against complex trauma. Contact Intervention.com today to learn how we can help you take the next step toward healing and recovery!
