When Medical Treatment Becomes Traumatic
When you experience a severe medical issue, it can leave you feeling lost, helpless, frustrated, and even traumatized.
Yet despite your medical problems, you know you must still take care of your responsibilities. Childcare, household chores, and financial obligations, among others, are more difficult than before.
When you don’t feel well, these things are no easy tasks. Whether you’ve been in an accident, gone through a difficult surgery, experienced an acute crisis like a heart attack, or currently experience a chronic illness such as IBD, we know you’ve gone through a lot. It can be a challenge to process.
Navigating Life With Medical PTSD
At work, your manager may or may not understand your situation. When your body can no longer function the way it used to, you may not be able to take care of yourself like you used to. You might require the aid of a caregiver such as a family member, friend, or nursing aide.
On top of it all, you might be wondering how you’re going to pay for it all. If you’ve experienced medical PTSD, you probably spend a great deal of your time worrying about what your future looks like.
All of this and more can be devastating to your self-esteem and totally disrupt your sense of normalcy and belonging.
Short-term or acute medical issues can have a lasting impact as you come face to face with mortality and the fragility of control in your life.
When your family or friends haven’t been through something similar, they often don’t understand. This can sometimes lead to unmet needs, feelings of utter loneliness, and a fear of the unknown.
Stress that’s related to medical issues can also increase emotional, physical, and spiritual pain. After all that you’ve been through, you deserve to live a life filled with as little pain as possible.
If you find yourself grieving for your health and the life you once had, or need help mentally processing a medical issue, we can help.
How Can Therapy for Medical PTSD Help?
Medical PTSD Therapy can help you learn how to:
- Discuss strategies for improving your self-esteem over the long-term
- Develop coping skills that work for you in your unique situation
- Review how your trauma and fear are connected and how you can reframe thoughts and feelings so that you can live comfortably
- Go over healthy ways to express your emotions
Sometimes medical PTSD can also be experienced by observers. Perhaps you are a nurse or doctor who is frequently exposed to ailing patients, or maybe you witnessed someone get hurt in a car accident. Your feelings are real, and you don’t have to keep them to yourself.
In therapy, we can help you learn how to cope with Medical PTSD. We are ready to listen and help.
