PTSD psychologist Gdańsk

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Not every reaction after a difficult event means PTSD. After an accident, violence, a sudden loss, experiencing a threat or witnessing traumatic events, many people sleep worse for a while, keep going back in their thoughts to what happened, are more tense, irritable or withdrawn. This can be a natural bodily reaction to overload.

In some people the symptoms subside over time, but in others they persist longer, begin to disrupt everyday life and then we speak of post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD can affect both young people and adults. It is not a sign of weakness or making a fuss, but a real consequence of trauma that continues to affect the mind and body even though the threat has passed.

PTSD – what is it and when is it worth considering a consultation?

• Many people seek help when symptoms have already been lasting for a long time. Meanwhile, it is worth reaching out sooner — not to get an „label” straight away, but to understand what is happening with the nervous system, sleep, emotions, and everyday functioning.
• PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing a severely threatening, terrifying or very distressing event; sometimes also after hearing about trauma that happened to a close person. Symptoms usually last longer than a month and affect relationships, study, work or normal everyday functioning.
• In practice, counselling makes sense if you haven’t regained your balance, even though some time has passed since the incident. This can manifest in many different ways: some people avoid certain places, some cannot sleep, some function „normally” but live in a state of constant tension, whilst others feel as though their body is constantly reacting as if the threat were still present.

How can post-traumatic stress disorder manifest itself?

The most distinctive feature of PTSD is that the trauma is not „locked away” in the past. It resurfaces in dreams, flashbacks, tension, avoidance and hypervigilance. For one person, flashbacks and nightmares may predominate, whilst for another, irritability, emotional numbness or withdrawal from relationships may be the main symptoms. Difficulties with concentration, sleep and a sense of safety are also common.

Recurring memories and nightmares

A person may involuntarily return to the event, have flashbacks, nightmares or strong physical reactions to stimuli associated with the trauma.

Avoiding

It is common to avoid conversations, places, people, situations or topics that bring back memories of what happened. On the surface, this may appear as aloofness, coldness or „reluctance”, but deep down it is usually an attempt to protect oneself from feeling overwhelmed.

Constant tension and excessive vigilance

PTSD is often associated with a sense of constant alarm: being easily startled, irritability, sleep problems, difficulty relaxing and the conviction that one must be constantly prepared for danger.

Mood swings, withdrawal and difficulty in relationships

A sense of numbness, guilt, shame, isolation, loss of interest, and difficulty with intimacy and trust are also part of the post-traumatic picture, especially when the experience has shattered one's sense of safety in relationships.

PTSD in teenagers – what parents and the teenager themselves should look out for?

In adolescents, post-traumatic stress disorder does not always look like „typical trauma reliving”. More often, you see irritability, outbursts, withdrawal, concentration problems, stomach aches or headaches, difficulty going to school, nightmares, sleep problems, or a drop in interest in things that used to matter. The reactions of young people after trauma are also strongly linked to whether they have safe adult support and whether their environment understands what is happening to them.

Therefore PTSD psychologist for youth does not work solely with the symptom. It looks more broadly: at the school, family, peer relationships, sleep, body and how the teenager tries to cope with tension. Sometimes a young person will not say directly that they are experiencing trauma — but will show it through withdrawal, aggression, dissociation or constant tension.

PTSD psychologist Gdańsk vs PTSD psychotherapist Gdańsk – what is the difference?

Psychologist – post-traumatic stress disorder This is often the best first step. A consultation allows you to make sense of your symptoms, distinguish between a natural reaction to trauma and difficulties that are becoming entrenched, and determine what form of support would be most appropriate. It is also a time when you can calmly put into words what is happening to your body, your sleep, your memory, your stress levels and your day-to-day functioning.

PTSD psychotherapist undertakes longer-term therapeutic work when symptoms persist, return or clearly affect relationships, studies, work and the sense of security. Official APA guidelines for adults indicate several forms of trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy as recommended psychotherapeutic approaches, and the NHS states that for children and young people, trauma-focused CBT is used, among others, and in some cases also EMDR.

What does the initial consultation look like?

The first visit is not about forcing a detailed account of the trauma. A good consultation should serve to understand the situation and build a sense of safety. You talk about what is happening now: which symptoms appear most often, what triggers them, what sleep, tension, concentration, relationships, school or work look like, and what helps to lower the overload even a little. A trauma-informed approach assumes safety, trust, cooperation and regaining agency, rather than „pushing” a person into a story they are not ready for.

• In young people, talking to a parent or carer can also be important, but without stripping the teenager of their agency. Sometimes, simply putting the symptoms in order provides relief, because what seemed like chaos or a „strange reaction” starts to make sense as a comprehensible bodily response to trauma.

What does PTSD psychotherapy look like?

PTSD psychotherapy It is not a conversation „about a bit of everything”. It is usually a structured process in which we work on post-traumatic symptoms, avoidance, hyperarousal, feelings of threat, and how the trauma has affected one’s view of oneself, other people and the world. Depending on the patient’s age, the nature of their difficulties and the therapeutic approach, the work may include trauma-focused therapy, elements of body-oriented work and nervous system regulation, and, in the case of adolescents, collaboration with the family.

The most important thing is that therapy does not boil down to „returning to trauma just for the sake of returning to it”. Its aim is to reduce suffering, regain a sense of agency, and restore a greater sense of safety in everyday life. PTSD can also be treated effectively a long time after the event — this is not just help for „in the immediate aftermath of trauma”.

What difficulties do we help with at MECAL Gdańsk?

At MECAL Gdańsk, we support young people and adults who are struggling with post-traumatic symptoms, chronic stress, nightmares, avoidance, hypervigilance, withdrawal, relationship difficulties, guilt, shame and low mood. The support we offer can address both recent traumatic experiences and difficulties that resurface years later and are only now beginning to have a noticeable impact on daily life.

Where necessary, this support can be combined with other areas of the clinic’s work: psychotherapy for adolescents and adults, family / systemic therapy, with assistance in the area of depressive states in adolescents, support for anxiety or ADHD, or a consultation as part of specialist team. In trauma, it is often important not only to treat the symptom, but also to organise the entire context of functioning.

Post-traumatic stress disorder Gdańsk – help that organises the chaos after trauma