cognitive-behavioral therapy — Blog

Can Pandemic Amplify My Trauma-Related Symptoms?

Individuals with a history of traumatic events are reporting more frequent trauma reminders and symptoms during this pandemic: increased intrusive thoughts and/or nightmares; insomnia and disrupted sleep; increased uneasiness, anxiety, and fear; mistrust and emotional detachment or numbing; feelings of sadness and/or overwhelming guilt or shame. There are several reasons why pandemic could be associated with a greater frequency of trauma reminders and trauma-related symptoms. Take heart, as this pandemic will not last forever, and neither will your uptick in symptoms.

Why is this happening?

Living with Anxiety: Taking the Long View

During my first meeting with a prospective client, I like to ask a few key questions:

How would we know if therapy was working for you?

What would be some signs that we could look for that would suggest that we were making progress toward your goals?

Responses to these kinds of questions vary; however, since I frequently treat clients presenting with concerns related to anxiety, responses often go something like this:

I would feel less anxious. I wouldn’t be so controlled by my emotions. I could make decisions based on what I wanted to do, instead of based on how much anxiety I think I would feel in any given situation. I would feel more free.