At Lido Wellness Center in Newport Beach, we often meet individuals seeking to understand the inexplicable patterns in their lives – fractured relationships, unexplainable anxieties, or an inner turmoil that seems to have no origin. These experiences may be whispers from a past that affect our present more than one might think. Repressed childhood trauma, a complex and often elusive adversary, can linger into adulthood, shaping behaviors, choices, and emotional health.

Here we will delve into the signs of repressed childhood trauma in adults and how understanding these can be the first step toward healing and personal growth at a mental health outpatient program like ours.

Unraveling Repressed Childhood Trauma

Repressed childhood trauma is akin to a shadow that follows you silently. It’s the result of the mind’s attempt to protect itself, burying painful memories deep within the subconscious. But, as with most buried things, they tend to resurface, often in unexpected and confusing ways.

The Signs

Repressed trauma doesn’t always knock on the door of our consciousness with clear memories. Instead, it often manifests in subtle, yet impactful signs:

• Unexplained Emotional Outbursts: Sudden, intense emotions that seem disproportionate to the current situation may be echoes of a past unresolved trauma.
• Difficulty in Relationships: If you find yourself repeatedly in tumultuous relationships, or if intimacy feels fraught with anxiety, it might be trauma influencing your attachment style.
• Chronic Anxiety or Depression: While these can have various causes, they are also common responses to unresolved trauma, especially if no direct cause is discernible in your current life.
• Dissociation: This feels like being disconnected from your body or emotions. It’s a defense mechanism, a form of psychological escape from reality, often developed in response to trauma.
• Unexplained Physical Symptoms: Trauma can manifest physically in ways that evade medical explanations, such as chronic pain, fatigue, or gastrointestinal issues.
• Fear of Abandonment: If you find yourself in constant fear of being left alone or rejected, it might be a sign of trauma affecting your sense of security.
• Self-Sabotaging Behavior: Engaging in behaviors that are detrimental to your wellbeing, like substance abuse or self-harm, can be a way of coping with unresolved trauma.

Understanding the Impact of Childhood Trauma

Childhood, a time when the mind is malleable, is also when we’re most vulnerable to lasting impacts from traumatic experiences. Trauma during these formative years can fundamentally alter how we perceive the world, ourselves, and others.

One of the most profound impacts of repressed childhood trauma is seen in adult relationships. The patterns established early in life, often as survival strategies, can become maladaptive in adulthood, leading to a cycle of broken relationships and emotional turmoil.

Approaching Repressed Trauma

Healing from repressed childhood trauma is a journey that requires courage, patience, and professional guidance. At Lido Wellness Center, we believe in a holistic approach:

• Acknowledgment: The first step is recognizing the possibility that your current struggles may be rooted in past trauma.
• Therapy: Professional therapy is invaluable. Techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and talk therapy can help unearth and process repressed memories.
• Support Groups: Sharing experiences with others who understand can be incredibly validating and healing.
• Self-Care: Engaging in activities that promote physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing is crucial in the healing process.

At Lido Wellness Center, we specialize in helping individuals unpack the baggage of their past. Our outpatient program is designed to provide the support and tools needed to navigate the complexities of repressed childhood trauma.

Healing from trauma is not about erasing the past but about reclaiming your story. It’s about understanding the why behind your emotions and behaviors, and gently rewriting the narrative of your life.

Finding a Future

Recognizing the signs of repressed childhood trauma is the first step towards a healthier, more aware self. At Lido Wellness Center, we are committed to walking this path with you, offering a safe space for healing and growth. Remember, the shadows of the past don’t have to define your future.

If you recognize these signs in yourself and are seeking help, contact Lido Wellness Center today. Let’s embark on this journey of healing together.

Though it is one of our most fundamental aspects of humanity, the mind can be so complex it feels better to compare it to the sea and another body part. It is diverse, undulating, and, at times, turbulent. The stories and experiences that craft our mental complexity can be both beautiful and harrowing. Among the most challenging, yet enlightening, elements of is our understanding of PTSD Causes.

A Deeper Dive Into PTSD Causes

Before diving in, it’s essential to realize that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) doesn’t only happen to someone who has been in a war, as many believe. In our experience here at Lido Wellness, people can even be surprised that they are struggling with PTSD. The range of trauma is wide and there are no rules for what is significant in each individual’s life. It permeates beyond the battlefields (both metaphorical and real) and touches even the most seemingly benign facets of daily life. So, what exactly are the causes of PTSD?

The List: Unearthing the Causes of PTSD

1. Combat Exposure: Though not the only cause of PTSD, the horrors of war are a well-acknowledged cause. Soldiers are subjected to scenes and situations most of us cannot fathom, leading to intense trauma.
2. Childhood Physical Abuse & Neglect: Childhood traumas, often leave lasting scars that manifest as PTSD in later life. This goes beyond physical abuse—neglect and emotional abuse also will weave their way into a person’s life in tragic ways.
3. Sexual Violence: Regardless of gender, being a victim of sexual assault can be a significant trigger for PTSD.
4. Physical Assault: Violent personal attacks, such as muggings, can provoke severe mental distress.
5. Accidents: Car crashes, motorcycle accidents, and other accidents can be unexpected sources of intense trauma.
6. Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods – the raw power of nature, can be a potent PTSD cause.
7. Witnessing Death or Serious Injury: The sudden and violent loss of a loved one, even if not directly involved, can be traumatic.

Who Is Prone to PTSD?

Anyone can develop PTSD. It doesn’t matter who you are or how “tough” you believe you are. But there may be life experiences and personal physiologies that play a part. Here are a few things to be aware of if you believe you or someone you know are at risk of PTSD.

• Previous Traumas: PTSD isn’t always a result of a single event. For some, it’s an accumulation of multiple smaller traumas over time.
• Brain Structure: There’s ongoing research suggesting that the structure of certain parts of the brain, particularly the hippocampus, might contribute to susceptibility.
• Family History: Genetics and upbringing play a part. A family history of anxiety and depression can increase risk.
• Personality: It’s not about “strength” or “weakness” but rather how an individual’s personality processes traumatic events.
• Chemistry of the Brain: An imbalance in neurotransmitters might amplify the risk.

Whatever the case, at Lido Wellness, we reject the idea that PTSD is a sign of mental weakness. It isn’t. It’s a natural reaction to intense trauma, and its development depends on myriad factors, many of which are beyond the control of the affected individual.

Jobs with a Higher Propensity for PTSD

When considering PTSD Causes, some jobs are worse than others. There are professions that expose individuals to traumatic experiences more than others.

• Military Personnel: On the frontline, they face the brutal realities of war.
• First Responders: Police, firefighters, and paramedics often arrive at scenes that can be disturbing.
• Healthcare Professionals: Doctors and nurses, especially those in emergency and intensive care units, are regularly exposed to severe injuries and death.
• Journalists: War correspondents and those covering natural disasters witness trauma firsthand.
• Social Workers: Engaging with victims of abuse or those in crisis can be distressing.

Again, there is no specific rule. If you have experienced trauma or been in a traumatic situation that caused stress and difficulty, PTSD is potentially part of the equation. There is no shame in the cause; there is only courage in finding the strength to identify it. And then getting help.

IOP Treatment for PTSD

Unlike inpatient programs where patients live at the facility, at an IOP, people get intensive mental health treatment while living at home. This structure helpful for people who need more thorough treatment but also need to maintain some semblance of their daily routines.

At Lido Wellness Center’s IOP program, we focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a primary treatment for PTSD. CBT helps individuals recognize and reshape their negative thought patterns, empowering them with tools to face their trauma head-on.

Another effective approach is Exposure Therapy. It walks individuals through a controlled re-experience of their traumatic events, diluting the event’s overwhelming power over time. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful tool in this process. Through guided eye movements, EMDR allows patients to process and reframe traumatic memories in a way that minimizes the immediate stress of interacting with their memory.

Group Therapy for PTSD

Therapy isn’t just about individual introspection. The power of community can’t be overlooked. Group therapy sessions within an IOP setting foster connections—people feel less alone. The shared stories, the collective sighs of relief, and the intertwining journeys of recovery often become an anchor in the turbulent sea.

Ready to Seek Help for PTSD? Contact Lido Wellness Center Today

If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of PTSD, remember that you’re not alone, and there is help available. Lido Wellness Center, located in beautiful Newport Beach in Orange County, specializes in providing intensive outpatient mental health treatment.

Our compassionate team is dedicated to helping individuals regain control of their lives and find healing. We offer evidence-based therapies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), tailored to address the unique needs of those dealing with PTSD.

Don’t let PTSD control your life any longer. Take the first step towards recovery by reaching out to Lido Wellness Center today.

Contact us at 949-541-8466 to schedule a consultation or learn more about our programs.

Listed among the top search results for CBT therapy near me in Orange County, LIDO Wellness Center offers the best PTSD treatment available in Newport Beach, CA. We help clients suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health illnesses embrace a healthier state of mind and improved emotional regulation with our integrated treatment approach.

What Is CBT?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that’s highly effective in treating several behavioral and mental health issues. A mental health counselor will engage you in a structured talk therapy session to help you become aware of negative thinking and emotions. They will help you view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them using a rational approach.

Using CBT alongside other science-based therapies can be highly effective in treating depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can equip you with essential skills to manage stressful life situations easily.

What to Expect During CBT for PTSD?

You may receive cognitive behavioral therapy on a one-on-one basis or in a group setting in the presence of your family members or other patients suffering from similar issues. During a CBT session, you will learn about:

1. Your mental health condition
2. Techniques for relaxation, coping, resilience, stress management, and assertiveness

In the first therapy session, your PTSD and trauma treatment therapist will try to learn about you, your mental health condition including the potential causes of PTSD, and issues and concerns that bother you. A therapist will also ask about your current and past physical and emotional health and create a customized recovery plan for you. Your therapist may also recommend other psychotherapies and medications to help you cope with PTSD.

During the CBT session, the therapist will encourage you to talk about your thoughts and feelings and open up about issues that trouble you. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on specific problems and takes a goal-oriented approach. Your therapist may assign you homework, activities, reading, exercises, etc., that help you build on what you learn in your therapy. Our PTSD treatment program uses CBT to equip patients with essential coping mechanisms and apply what they learn in daily life.

How Long Should I Attend CBT For PTSD?

CBT is a short-term therapy. Patients generally attend five to 20 sessions to achieve their recovery goals. Talk to your therapist for PTSD treatment in Orange County to learn about the number of sessions you will need to overcome your mental health challenges and achieve improved psychiatric wellness.

Your therapist will assess your disorder or mental health situation, the severity of your symptoms, the length of your mental health issue, etc., before determining the number of CBT sessions you need. Be sure to join one of the best trauma treatment facilities for CBT to receive the best quality care and garner the best outcome in recovery.

Your search for the best trauma and PTSD treatment centers ends here. Contact 949-541-8466 to join LIDO Wellness Center. We offer the best CBT therapy near me at budget-friendly prices with dedicated and experienced therapists. Get in touch with us today to reshape your negative thinking and learn the best ways to manage your emotions.