Trauma and Stress Related Disorders
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that arises after a person experiences or witnesses an intensely distressing event or a series of repeated traumatic events. Often PTSD is simply referred to as "traumatic stress,"or may be described as a "stress injury.”
People with PTSD usually suffer from a wide range of symptoms, such as,
frequent distressing memories
flashbacks
nightmares
severe emotional distress
avoidance of many aspects of life
physical reactions to reminders of the traumatic event
depressive symptoms and isolation
These symptoms negatively impact everyday activities and quality of life.
Adjustment Disorder
Adjustment Disorder is a psychological condition that emerges when an individual is unable to adjust or cope with a particular stressor, such as a major life change.
Symptoms of Adjustment Disorder can range from,
depressed or low mood, hopelessness
anxiety
lack of enjoyment
difficulty sleeping
appetite changes
trouble concentrating
These problems often do not respond to typical coping methods and can cause considerable distress and impairment in social or occupational functioning.
How we can help
Many treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder, stress and trauma-related issues, focus on symptom management strategies and coping skills to reduce suffering associated with these conditions.
People’s attachment history contribute greatly to whether they will be able to tolerate their emotions and access their inner resilience and a sense of safety in the face of stress or trauma later in life. This is why some people who are confronted with traumatic experiences develop PTSD or an adjustment disorder and others do not.
At DPPC, we focus on underlying emotional contributors and relationship attachment styles with the goal of resolving trauma symptoms at their root rather than manage symptoms. We tailor the treatment to anxiety tolerance levels to keep the therapy process safe and effective.
Recent studies have found that psychodynamic therapies such as Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) can be effective in lessening or resolving symptoms of both Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder with lower relapse rates than standard treatment approaches.
We work with Veterans, Military Members, and RCMP.
We accept referrals from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and are able to bill directly through Medavie Blue Cross.