Why You Might Have Intimacy Issues After Trauma

It is a myth that only sexual-abuse survivors suffer from intimacy issues. In fact, sexual-abuse survivors may not exhibit any physical intimacy issues. However, in this case intimacy issues are not uncommon because when we experience a traumatic event of any type, our body goes into physiological “survival mode”—a response that, if not completed and returned to a normal regulation of the nervous system, can lead to emotional and physical intimacy issues.

Impact of TraumaSusanne BabbelFebruary 27, 2019Trauma, Intimacy, Survival Mode, Fight/Flight/Freeze, Fight, Flight, Freeze, Oxytocin, Depression, Anxiety

Rejection Hangover: Abandonment Anxiety

Stephanie met a man for their first date together, and it went very well. They talked for three hours, exchanged eye contact, laughed together, and had great chemistry. At the end of the evening, they agreed, “This was fun! Let’s meet again!”

Impact of TraumaSusanne BabbelNovember 7, 2018Anxiety, Nervous, Rejection, Abandonment Anxiety, Psychological Hangover, Inner Critic, Panic, Trauma, PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Neglect, Anxious Attachment Style, Avoidant Attachment Style, Abandonment

Trauma: Childhood Sexual Abuse

There are various types of traumatic events that can lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Sexual abuse is a particularly sinister type of trauma because of the shame it instills in the victim. With childhood sexual abuse, victims are often too young to know how to express what is happening and seek out help. When not properly treated, this can result in a lifetime of PTSD, depression and anxiety.

Students with PTSD

On a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) forum, a college student cries out for help: “Hey, everyone, I’m having a really hard time with course work right now.” He elaborates, “I’m dissociating a lot right now, and it’s making me pretty dysfunctional some days. For those of you who are, or have been, in college, do you have any suggestions that might help me deal with dissociation and concentration problems?”

Compassion Fatigue

Medical professionals such as physicians, nurses, psychotherapists, and emergency workers who help traumatized patients may develop their own Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms as an indirect response to their patient’s suffering. This phenomenon has been referred to as compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization or secondary traumatic stress.

Medical Trauma: When A Procedure Goes Wrong

Imagine waking up from anesthesia during a surgical procedure, becoming fully aware of what is happening, perhaps being able to feel the sensations of surgical tools cutting into your body or pulling at your organs, yet not being lucid enough to react, speak, move, or otherwise alert anyone to your experience. This sounds like a horror story, doesn't it?

Trauma TypesSusanne BabbelOctober 9, 2018Medical Trauma, Trauma, PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anesthesia Failure, Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, BIS Monitor

Postpartum PTSD Versus Postpartum Depression

According to Postpartum Support International (PSI)*, up to 6% of women who give birth later experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Trauma TypesSusanne BabbelAugust 31, 2018Postpartum PTSD, PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Postpartum Depression, Childbirth Trauma, Trauma, Stillbirth, Anxiety, Detachment, Unreality

Miscarriage and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

When we think about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, we often think about war veterans and those who have endured violent crimes. But there are many other ways in which PTSD can affect victims of other, perhaps less obvious trauma.

Trauma TypesSusanne BabbelAugust 31, 2018PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Fatigue, Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Acute Stress Syndrome, Counseling, ASD, Pregnancy Loss

Post Abortion Stress Syndrome (PASS) - Does It Exist?

PASS can affect any woman who experiences trauma from abortion.

Trauma TypesSusanne BabbelAugust 30, 2018Post Abortion Stress Syndrome, PASS, Abortion, Trauma, PTSD, Guilt, Anxiety, Numbness, Depression, Flashbacks, Suicide, Suicidal Thoughts, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Mugging is a Violent, Traumatizing Crime

As with all traumatic incidents, being mugged can result in more than physical injury and loss of valuable personal items. The longer-lasting impact of a mugging can be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), an extreme type of anxiety disorder that can make the sufferer's life unmanageable.