SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Understanding and overcoming trauma

Understanding and facing psychological trauma: a guide

Claudia Herbert, Fabrizio Didonna

Product: Book

Trim size in cm: 17x24

Pages: 196

ISBN: 978-88-590-2509-2

Publication date: 01/11/2020


REQUEST A SAMPLE OR MORE INFORMATION






People who are victims of trauma have sudden, overwhelming and often incomprehensible experiences as effects and consequences. Trauma activates a series of survival defense mechanisms that are innate and automatic.

This book offers concrete help to victims of traumatic experiences to help them recognize, understand and normalize their reactions to those experiences. However, the volume is also addressed to the people (family members, relatives, friends) who offer them support, and to workers in the fields of medicine and psychology. Thanks to the effective psychological interventions proposed, the volume will help trauma victims obtain relatively fast and lasting meaningful results.


Presentation (Giovanni Liotti)
Introduction

Preface
Reservations
Rationale for a book about trauma
How to read this book
Information for the reader

Understanding trauma and your reaction to it
What is a trauma?
Different types of trauma
Who is this book for?
Trauma in children
Why can trauma have such a strong psychological effect?
Under the survival system’s control
What happens during a fight or flight reaction?
What happens when a fight/flight reaction is not possible?
How to make sense of the trauma and adapt to it

Group 1: reactions in which trauma is re-lived
Repeated and disturbing memories of the trauma
Recurring dreams and nightmares and insomnia
Flashbacks

Group 2: avoidance and dulling reactions
Dulling reactions
Avoidance reactions

Group 3: reactions of increased physical activity (or hyperactivity) 
Difficulty falling asleep and insomnia
Irritability or fits of rage
Difficulty concentrating or with memory
State of excessive alertness and concern for one's own safety and that of others
Excessive alarm responses
Physical reactions in response to situations reminiscent of trauma

Other reactions to trauma 
Reactions related to the loss of a person
The loss of body parts and changes in body image
Chronic pain
Sexual difficulties
Depression
Feelings of guilt, shame and self-blame
Dissociation
Substance abuse
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Why do people react to trauma in different ways?

How to deal with trauma 
The process of rebuilding your life
The different steps of healing

The first phase: regaining a sense of security and stability - rebalancing the nervous system 
Safeguarding your safety
How you treat yourself
How others treat you
How you treat others
Creating a sense of safety in your house
Taking care of yourself and your sleep-wake rhythms
Following a healthy diet
Practicing moderate and regular physical activity
Accepting and “connecting with” parts of the body that have changed
Taking care of your body (and soul)
Creating a safe routine for sleep
Restoring healthy breathing
"Connecting" to a feeling of security with an “imaginary safe space"
The purpose of creating (installing) an imaginary safe place
Guidelines for creating / installing an imaginary safe place
Text for creating an imaginary safe place
Instructions for using the imaginary safe place

The second phase: expressing and processing the trauma
Ways to tell about the trauma
Telling your trauma to a person willing to listen
Write your trauma story
Record your story of the traumatic experience
Using art to express your traumatic experience

The third stage: leaving the past behind - the process of rebuilding your life
Dealing with avoidance
Managing protective behaviour
Managing anger or irritability
Managing sexual difficulties
Strengthening self-esteem through "reconnection" with others and a healthy social life
Overcoming feelings of guilt and shame
Recognizing feelings of guilt, shame and self-blame
Assessing the level of responsibility for the traumatic situation
The effect on your family or partner
Drugs
The importance of finding and maintaining a specialist’s help
Effective therapies
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
The EMDR method: desensitization and reprocessing through eye movements
Cognitive-evolutionary therapy and attachment theory
Mindfulness-based therapy
Somatic therapy focused on trauma
Seeking professional help
If you are receiving therapy, continue with the work already started: do not abandon it too soon!
Epilogue

Useful addresses
Bibliography