Rob Nelson, MS     Certified EFT Practitioner
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Trauma and PTSD

EFT is far and away the best treatment option for trauma and PTSD. With EFT there is no need to become re-traumatized. Instead of reliving the traumatic memory, and re-experiencing all the associated feelings, we simply tap away the cause of the problem, which is a disturbance in the client's energy system.

This can be done very gingerly, with procedures like The Tearless Trauma and the Tell A Story techniques, which entail making a full stop every time the emotional intensity begins to climb and tapping until it is released. There is no “toughing it out” or “being brave and pushing through”.

Will there be some distress involved? Of course. The client is already feeling distressed before we even begin. But it is always kept to the absolute minimum. I've helped many people discharge truly appalling traumatic memories with EFT and the process tends to be fast, gentle, complete and permanent. This work has been so satisfying that I've made it my specialty (along with the related work of divorce recovery).

I believe that a surprising number of people suffer from traumas memories, great and small. The benefits of discharging the emotional content are life changing, and given how quickly the work can be accomplished, this is a tremendous wise investment in one's health and well being. For those suffering from PTSD it is the first step toward healing.

To discuss your own situation and find out whether EFT can help you, call me today for a free 20 minute phone consultation.

For more information on trauma and PTSD keep reading.

Trauma

Whenever we experience a situation that seems life threatening, our primitive brain reacts with the fight, flight or freeze response. This is what helped our distant ancestors survive all sorts of perils long enough to pass on their genes. This is our inheritance from the days of saber tooth tigers, and it is literally hardwired into our brains.

Unfortunately, our brains can't really tell the difference between a truly life threatening situation and what we believe is life threatening. When we're two years old that might just be mommy and daddy having a big fight. Not only that, even our memories or imaginations can provoke this reaction.

This can be a big problem, because the fight, flight or freeze response has a profound effect on our bio-chemistry—blood rushes to support our muscles and drains away from our frontal lobes and core systems like digestion, reproduction and immune. After all, if a tiger is after you then you can worry about all that other good stuff later, right?

But fight, flight or freeze is only meant to be a temporary, short term burst. When the tiger is replaced by ongoing stresses, we end up marinating our bodies in stress hormones and this has a terrible effect on our health and well being.

This kind of ongoing stress is a serious problem all by itself, but when the original traumatic experience is very intense, and especially when we feel helpless or powerless to deal with it, our psyche tends to repress, isolate and seal off the memory along with all the associated feelings. Our psyche does this just so that we can get on with the business of living. Unfortunately, when a traumatic memory is shut away on this level, it becomes very difficult to talk through or process in any normal fashion.

In some cases we may actually forget all about the memory, until some external event or wayward thought gets a little too close to home and then we get triggered. We may end up having a panic attack, insomnia, a phobia reaction or a violent outburst all out of proportion to the actual situation.

It takes a great deal of psychic energy to repress or “forget” traumatic events. This energy has to come from somewhere, and we may become mentally or physically exhausted over time. Some believe this may be a major factor in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia. We may also have memory problems, as the subconscious effort to forget our trauma becomes generalized.

PTSD

There are times when the original event was just too intense. Or there were too many severe events for the psyche to cope with at all, and we may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. Instead of being locked away, the original events tend to be re-triggered and re-lived over and over, through flashbacks, dreams or simply distressing memories. Even subtle reminders of the original events can set off intense physical reactions. This often leads to hyper-vigilance, difficulty concentrating, sleep disorders like insomnia or nightmares, and panic attacks.

PTSD is extremely hard to live with, and sufferers sometimes become numb, detached and hopeless. They may become isolated socially, avoiding public places where they might be easily triggered. Loved ones and family members often feel the brunt of their anger and frustration, and without adequate treatment, many resort to heavy alcohol or drug use to self medicate.

Dealing with Trauma, and especially PTSD is not something to go into lightly and is probably best left to experienced practitioners. If you are determined to 'go it alone', or just want more information, I strongly suggest reading Gary Craig's excellent book on the subject EFT for PTSD. Here is a link to find it on Amazon.com.

I have helped many clients suffering from PTSD and other trauma related problems, and have made it my specialty. If you would like to discuss your own issues and whether EFT can help you, you are welcome to call me for a free 20 minute phone consultation. Please note: I now offer veterans with combat related PTSD free sessions, as a Iraq Vets Stress Project volunteer.

707-280-8134