Q: What is trauma?

A: Most people associate trauma with events like war, violence, extremes of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, crippling accidents, or natural disasters. And those are surely traumatic. Many "ordinary" events can also be traumatic. Some categories of trauma might include (this is by no means an exhaustive list):

• Medical hospitalizations, burns, surgeries​
• Accidents, falls, head injuries
  
• Suffocation, drowning, strangulation
  
• Attacks such as rape, war, mugging, stabbing,  gunshot wound, animal attacks
  
• Horror such as seeing an accident, watching someone else being abused, killing or hurting someone
• Neglect, abandonment, loss, generational trauma, and ongoing abuse

Q: What symptoms appear after trauma?

A: The type of symptoms that occur after a traumatic experience can include:

• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Hyperarousal
• Constriction
• Phantom pain
• Disassociation or denial
• Feeling helpless
• Easily and frequently stressed out
• Difficulty sleeping
• Phobias
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Troubled breathing
• Headaches
• Pain
• Fatigue
• Hypervigilance
• Abrupt mood swings
• Sensitivity to light or sound
• Nightmares or night terrors
• Fibromyalgia
• Emotional flooding
• Hyperactivity
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Bladder Interstitial Cystitis
• Pelvic pain
• Self regulation problems
• Feeling disconnected to life

If you experience any of these symptoms, even years after a traumatic event, do connect with Fr. Greg or by the Somatic Experiencing® Professional who can help you on your journey.

Q: What does healing feel like?

A: Common benefits of resolving trauma through Somatic Experiencing can be:
​

• Reduction/alleviation of chronic pain and tension
• Becoming more present and engaged in life
• Increased resiliency to future stressors
• Restored sense of optimism and hope
• Developed sense of clarity and purpose
• Increased ability to focus and concentrate
• Greater sense of peace, ease, and calm

Q: Are there other resources that I should explore?

A: Here is a list of resources that Fr. Greg recommends.

Q: What should I do if I am experiencing some of these symptoms of trauma?

A: Take the next step.  Click here.

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Additional
Question and Answer

Q: What is sex addiction and how is it treated? 

A: Click here for additional information and Q&A regarding sex addiction. Fr. Greg uses Somatic Experiencing to support healing for those who are experiencing sex addiction.

Q: What is Somatic Experiencing?

A: Click here to learn more about Somatic Experiencing and how it contributes to the healing process and has changed lives.