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Help with trauma
Have you experienced an intense experience that continues to haunt you? Sometimes a profound event can lead to trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We understand how profound the impact of trauma can be on your daily life. In a short, intensive program, we help you process your trauma step by step.
Recognize
Symptoms of trauma (PTSD).
Trauma manifests itself differently for everyone. What is manageable for one person can leave deep traces for another. Severe events such as an accident, threat, mistreatment or abuse can lead to persistent symptoms. Think of re-experiences, irritability, sleep problems, startle reactions or avoiding anything that reminds you of the trauma. These signs may indicate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Emotionally drastic experiences such as bullying, neglect or prolonged rejection can also cause trauma. They affect your self-esteem and can lead to a negative self-image or personality problems.
Are you unsure if your symptoms are related to trauma?
See the symptoms to the right for a clear overview of common signs
Looking for PTSD treatment? Check out the trauma therapy page.
Symptoms:
• Painful memories
• Sleep problems and unpleasant dreams
• Relapses and flashbacks
• Avoidance of associations
• Mood changes
• Negative thoughts
• Sense of alienation
• Irritability and tantrums
• Excessive vigilance
• Exaggerated startle reactions
• Concentration problems
expert in multiple diagnosis
We treat multiple disorders parallel
Short and intensive treatment
Quickly make a U-turn in your life
Recovery in a natural environment
Working on body and mind
Recognize
Understanding trauma (PTSD)
Together with your treatment team you will explore the causes and patterns behind your complaints. This will give you insight and practical tools to make real change. In a way that suits you.
Types of trauma (PTSD).
Trauma is not always visible and expresses itself differently in everyone. What is a shocking one-time experience for one person may be the result of long-term emotional or physical stress for another. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also takes different forms, depending on the nature and duration of the trauma.
Some people develop symptoms after a major event, such as an accident or violent incident. Others become traumatized by repeated or long-term experiences, such as abuse, neglect or bullying.
Different forms of trauma each have their own characteristics, consequences and impact on daily life.
The normal stress response is your natural reaction to (perceived) danger. However, it does not necessarily lead to mental illness. A normal stress reaction leads to a fight, flight or freeze response. This means that adrenaline flows through your body and you are ready to fight or leave the situation you are currently in.
This type of stress response can occur as a result of illness, injury or accidents, causing your stress level to skyrocket. When the "danger" subsides, the body's nervous, endocrine and immune systems must return to their normal state.
This disorder is also not the same as PTSD, but it can occur after you have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, and even if you find out that a loved one has experienced a traumatic event. Unlike a normal stress reaction, acute stress disorder can lead to PTSD if left untreated.
Acute stress disorder, or ASD, is a trauma- or stress-related disorder. Symptoms are similar to those of PTSD, except that acute stress disorder typically persists 3 days to a month after the traumatic experience. PTSD lasts at least a month, either as a continuation of ASD or as a separate disorder that begins up to six months after the traumatic event(s). Acute stress disorder is treatable without leading to PTSD. Individual and/or group therapy, drug treatment and intensive treatment put together by a mental health professional can help.
Single PTSD is linked to a single traumatic event, as opposed to multiple traumatic events. Moreover, it is one of the most common types diagnosed. It can cause you to try to avoid places and people that remind you of the trauma, have nightmares, flashbacks or mood swings or feel irritable.
This type of PTSD is usually treated with therapy, medication or both. But the most important part of this mental disorder is that - if treated in time - it is less likely to coexist with other mental disorders such as depression, for example.
PTSD may occur in combination with dissociative symptoms, depersonalization or derealization and emotional detachment. However, these symptoms also occur in other mental illnesses. Moreover, these dissociative symptoms it may manifest as dissociative flashbacks, memory loss and severe PTSD symptoms.
Exposure therapy, such as cognitive processing therapy, long-term exposure therapy, EMDR and Narrative Exposure Therapy can help you recover.
With Complex PTSD, or CPTSS, you typically have more complex symptoms and more severe symptoms. Complex PTSD is often seen as the counterpart of single PTSD. However, this is not the counterpart of complex PTSD. CPTSS differs from PTSD in intensity and duration. It can be caused by a single traumatic event or by multiple traumatic events or can be traced to (early) childhood trauma. The symptoms overlap with symptoms of "ordinary" PTSD, but because of its complex nature, it requires more intensive treatment. In addition, it often takes longer for treatment to show results.
If you suffer from CPTSS, you may experience a variety of symptoms and behavioral problems. Want to learn more about complex PTSD, its causes, symptoms and treatment? We'll give you more information on our page about CPTSS.
Comorbid PTSD refers to having several disorders at the same time, or multiple problems. When a client is diagnosed with more than one mental disorder, including a type of PTSD, the term "comorbidity" is used as a general term for the collection of mental health problems. Multiple problems are also common in addictions.
To recover from this comorbidity in PTSD, both the PTSD and the underlying or coexisting mental health problems must be treated simultaneously.
Our approach
How do we treat trauma (PTSD)
At U-center, we look beyond just your trauma or PTSD symptoms. We treat not only the trauma itself, but also the underlying contributing factors - such as stress, lifestyle, relationships or other mental health issues. Our approach is intensive, personalized and focused on lasting recovery.
The basis of treatment consists of proven treatment methods such as EMDR and cognitive behavioral therapy. Where necessary, we support this with medication. In addition, we work with body-oriented therapies, expressive forms of work, lifestyle interventions and conversational therapies.
Together with a team of specialists including a psychologist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist, you will work on processing your trauma.
At every stage of treatment, e-health is an integral part of your treatment journey.
Our story
An integrative approach to trauma (PTSD).
Trauma often leaves deep marks. It can occur after a profound event or just from an accumulation of experiences that have permanently affected your life. And the consequences are usually not limited to PTSD alone. Perhaps you also struggle with anxiety, somberness, anger, or have begun to escape into substance abuse. Sometimes the trauma is even at the root of personality problems.
At U-center, we understand that trauma is rarely isolated. That's why we look beyond just the diagnosis. We take your whole situation into account, your mental and physical health, your relationships, your family, your work. Everything that affects you counts.
Together with a fixed treatment team you will search step by step for the core of your complaints. Using a combination of treatment methods, we help you to process, gain insight and make room for recovery.
Therapy
Therapy
Good treatment starts with really understanding what's going on. We always start with a comprehensive intake. Together we examine where your symptoms come from, what affects them and what you need to recover. In doing so, we look at multiple aspects of your life: from your life history and environment to your mental and physical health.
Based on that, we create a treatment plan that is right for you. Because trauma often affects multiple areas-emotional, physical and social-we combine different therapies that reinforce each other.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. In EMDR, you process your traumatic experience through certain sounds or other stimuli. During EMDR therapy, under the guidance of a therapist, you think back to the event or multiple events that led to your trauma. You then set to work processing this event. During the therapy you repeatedly recall the traumatic memory in combination with a distracting action or stimulus, such as sounds played alternately left and right through headphones or with lights through an EMDR lamp.
How does EMDR work?
You store certain experiences in your long-term memory. When you try to recall them again, these memories enter your "working memory. This memory has little space. If you have to store other stimuli at the same time, there is less space left for the memory. By repeatedly bringing up the memory including other stimuli, you often store the experiences again in your long-term memory in a less intense form. In this way you "overwrite" the intense memory with a less overwhelming version, as it were. In this way you can think about the traumatic experience with more distance, without the memories immediately overwhelming you.
During psychotherapy, you look for the cause and meaning of your trauma. You also look at the associated complaints that hinder you in your daily life and in relationships with other people. You look at the cause of these complaints and which patterns keep recurring unconsciously. During the therapy you will work on breaking certain patterns in your thinking, feelings and behavior. In this way you learn to better understand where certain behaviors come from and how you can change them.
Trauma also often disrupts a healthy relationship with your body. You often don't know exactly what you are feeling or are tense all the time. During yoga and body-oriented therapy, you learn to focus on what you are experiencing physically and how to deal with it. Among other things, you also learn to breathe more slowly and release tension in your body.
With post-traumatic stress disorder, you often experience anxious and somber feelings. You may also put certain emotions away or feel less of them. Over time, this has become your "new normal" and it is difficult to break this pattern. Through drama therapy and theater, you learn what it is like to feel differently. By playing a role, for example, you can experience how you might feel the same way and actively try to experience other emotions.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Before you start an application, you will naturally want to know more about U-center's approach, our treatment method for trauma and PTSD and other practical information. Is your question not yet answered? Then contact us.
At U-center, we can treat many mental health conditions. In particular, we specialize in treating multiple diagnoses at the same time (comorbidity). Yet even we cannot help everyone. See our terms & criteria page for more information.
There is also a lot on your plate for you as a loved one. After a traumatic experience, your loved one may unexpectedly react in extreme ways or withdraw. It is always good to seek support yourself.
During treatment, whenever possible, we involve loved ones. We do this in system discussions and in the client's personal development plan. Thus, we also offer loved ones practical tips and advice to support a friend or family member with trauma or PTSD.
At U-center, you can get treatment quickly. You can register online without any obligation. We strive to process your application or contact request within two working days. Your place is usually available within 6 to 7 weeks.
Depending on where you live your insurance may cover your treatment. If you have a Dutch insurance you will have to pay a contribution for additional activities and services. Consult the cost& insurance page for more information about your situation of contact our Communication Center.
Our clinic is equipped with all the necessary facilities and also offers a number of additional amenities. For more information, see our facilities page.