Technical terms and scientific concepts are not always easy to understand. Here you will find brief explanations of some of the terms related to complex trauma, which we refer to again and again in our texts.
NET (Narrative Exposure Therapy)
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an ancient medicine that originated in India. It is made up of different aspects and aims at the unity of body, mind and soul. These include diet, massage and oil treatments, yoga and meditation.
In Western countries, Ayurveda has partly a spiritually tinged reputation, as the underlying system varies from our medical system. Ayurveda traditionally treats all diseases. Overall, a greater sense of wellbeing can be created that has a preventive effect. In the area of relaxation and wellness, Ayurveda is also popular with us and cures or trips deal intensively with the unification of body, mind and soul.
Building block effect
Building block means the effect that several traumatic experiences can have on an affected person. The more of these traumatizing events a person experiences, the higher the likelihood of developing a traumatic illness such as PTSD or kPTSD – this is called the building block effect.
Especially in war and crisis areas or dictatorships, people experience multiple traumatic events. A linear relationship between the number of traumatizing experiences and the probability of a trauma-related disorder such as kPTSD or PTSD can be seen. But experiences of violence in the family, sexual and physical abuse in childhood can also lead to a building block effect and an increased risk of illness.
EMDR
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is a method for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. The method can be used in the treatment of both adults and children. It is a guided eye movement. This is given by the therapist with hand movements. The patients follow the movement with their eyes and thus come into a movement pattern similar to REM sleep. This artificial sleep simulation supports the brain in activating its own self-healing powers and in processing the traumatic experiences. EMDR aims to process stressful memories in retrospect and to develop positive cognitive and emotional behavior patterns.
intrusion
Intrusion describes reliving a traumatic situation, such as an accident or rape. It’s a symptom that shows up in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This reaction and reliving is unwanted by those affected and can occur while awake or asleep. Images, sounds and other vivid memories of the traumatic experience keep popping up in the consciousness and stressing the affected person. This symptom can also show in complex post-traumatic stress disorder (KPTSD).
IS-TDP
IS-TDP stands for Intensive Psychodynamic Short-Term Therapy. This treatment method was developed in Canada in the 1960s and can be used to treat trauma patients. As a psychotherapeutic method, IS-TDP enables quick access to the subconscious.
The therapeutic approach of the method aims at complex, structural changes in the patient. The aim is to permanently heal the symptoms associated with the trauma and at the same time to break open and change entrenched character structures.
Cure
A cure is a medically guided treatment for the pre- or post-operative care of various diseases. Classic healing cures aim to strengthen health and prevent or treat diseases. Cures often consist of a mixture of medical treatment and natural remedies that are used. These can not only be mud baths or massages with relaxing oils, but also practices from traditional healing methods such as yoga or Ayurveda.
cPTSD
cPTSD stands for complex post-traumatic stress disorder and is a trauma that can arise after several traumatic individual experiences or lasting traumatic experiences over a longer period of time. Such events can include sexual and physical abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking, or experiences of war and torture. Symptoms of cPTSD include reliving what has been experienced through recurring images, sounds, and memories. In addition, those affected can suffer from affect regulation disorders, negative self-perception, social withdrawal and relationship disorders. Affected people often have other psychological problems such as anxiety disorders, depression or abuse of medication, alcohol or drugs.
Music therapy
In general, music therapy can be divided into two areas: receptive and (inter) active. One speaks of receptive music therapy when the treatment consists of various interventions. The focus here is on listening to the music and the patient: music is played live or from a sound carrier. Receptive music therapy is mainly used for patients who no longer want or can no longer play. Active music therapy, however, is used far more frequently.
NET (Narrative Exposure Therapy)
The NET is a therapy that was specially developed for crisis and war zones, in which people are frequently exposed to persistent and recurring traumatic events. This standardized short-term intervention is used for the psychotherapeutic treatment of PTSD and multiple trauma. The therapy method was tested and investigated on a large number of different patients. Studies show that NET can help reduce PTSD. Improvements in symptoms of grief, depression and physical discomfort were also noted. However, more empirical data are needed in order to make better statements about the differential effect of the therapy.
Resilience
Resilience means the mental resilience that people show when they are exposed to traumatic events. The more developed the skill, the lower the risk that the person will experience a trauma disorder.
Various everyday aspects can have a positive effect on the resilience of psychological stress in difficult situations. These included a better general mood, less tendency to brood, less anxiety from everyday stress, and greater satisfaction with their social role.
Trauma
If people experience traumatic events, their psychological protective functions can be overwhelmed. Then trauma can arise. The word trauma comes from the Greek and means wound. Accordingly, trauma can be thought of as a wound or injury to the soul.
Various events can lead to trauma. These include serious accidents, illnesses, experiences with death, sexual violence, but also natural disasters or experiences of war. Such traumatic events can trigger deep emotional shocks in almost everyone, which overwhelm the stress system. Overall, affected persons are not able to process what they have experienced adequately.
Avoidance / numbing
Avoidance or numbing are symptoms of the disease in classic PTSD and complex post-traumatic stress disorders. People who suffer from trauma try to switch off the flood of thoughts in order not to have to think about the traumatizing event. This avoidance behavior can also result in avoiding activities or places that are reminiscent of the trauma.
Often this behavior is unsuccessful and numbing occurs instead. This flattening of psychological responsiveness is another avoidance symptom and can lead to feelings of alienation and social withdrawal.
