Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder are reactions to trauma. Trauma is caused by an event that makes you fear for your safety or for your life, such as a car accident, sexual, physical, or emotional abuse or neglect, experiencing or witnessing an assault, murder or robbery, or facing severe weather catastrophes. You may dissociate (“zone out”) or become hypervigilant to try to protect yourself during the event.  Afterwards, your mind/body may continue to try to protect you and to process what has happened through flashbacks and nightmares related to the event, hypervigilance especially around safety, avoidance of people and places related to what happened, or startle responses to triggers associated with the event.  You may lose time or feel detached from your emotions, from memories of the event, from other people, or even from your own body. Additionally, you may become irritable or have angry or tearful outbursts, experience sleep problems, feel unwarranted blame or guilt for what happened or repeatedly focus on how this traumatic event could have been prevented. All of these symptoms can make you feel like you are “going crazy”, but these symptoms are actually your body’s and mind’s best attempts to absorb an event that is too big to grasp. Therapy can help you to understand and let go of these symptoms in a way that will not overwhelm your body, mind, or spirit. Please see our EMDR section for a specific, research-based approach to trauma treatment. Overcoming the impact of trauma can lead to increased resilience and a sense of profound meaning and purpose regarding your future.