Addressing Medical Trauma with Third Wave Cognitive Behavior Therapy Techniques

Medical trauma is emotional and physical responses to pain, injury, serious illness, medical procedures, and frightening treatment experiences.

There are lots of different experiences related to illness, injury, or medical treatment that can be difficult, uncomfortable, or frightening.

• A sudden, life-threatening illness or injury and the related treatment

• Shock and feeling out of control when receiving a scary diagnosis

• Life-changing complications or problems during or after a medical procedure

• Unexpected medical intervention such as needing an emergency intervention

• Things about the hospital like constant noise, frequent medical checks, and staff disrupting sleep

-International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Is Medical Trauma Real?

Yes. Medical trauma is just as real and valid as any other traumatic event. Individuals with chronic illness or pain experience repeated invasive surgical procedures, medical treatments, and physical pain on a repeated basis. Childbirth is often spoken about as a briefly painful experience to give way to the most magical time of life.

However, the reality is that childbirth can be extremely traumatic, life-threatening as well as emotionally and physically exhausting. Having a scary childbirth experience can make it difficult to want to think about expanding your family or impacting your physical abilities to care for your newborn.

What Can Cause Medical Trauma?

• Chronic Pain

• Chronic Illness

• Cancer treatment

• IVF treatment

• Traumatic birth

• Pregnancy loss

• Repeated dismissal of pain or illness by medical providers

• Repeated invasive medical procedures or surgical procedures

What are Some Signs I am Experiencing Medical Trauma?

• High anxiety surrounding flare-ups, pain, new testing, or new treatments

• Depression

• Avoidance of situations that remind you of the trauma, such as an OBGYN’s office or surgeons in hospitals.

• Flashbacks or intrusive thoughts surrounding the traumatic event(s)

• Feeling hypervigilant about your bodily safety

• Catastrophizing about your health or outcomes of appointments

• Difficulty sleeping

What Makes Third Wave Cognitive Behavior Therapy Different From Other Trauma Treatments?

Third wave CBT tools utilize an integrative therapy approach and not a one size fits all modality. New York Women’s CBT values a third wave approach, meaning we incorporate both dialectical and flexible thought creation to rewire our neural networks as well as somatic, mindfulness exercises to regulate the nervous system and ground us in the present moment.

How Do We Treat Medical Trauma?

Identify Stuck Points

These may sound like:

• The world is an unsafe place.

• My body is broken and my illness is my fault.

• I must be on guard at all times.

• Medical professionals cannot be trusted.

• I am unloveable because of my illnesses.

• No one can understand how I am feeling.

• I have no control over my body or future.

Recognize How Medical Trauma Impacts:

• Esteem

  • Your beliefs in your self-worth and how you value those around you.

• Intimacy

  • Your belief is that you can meet your own emotional needs and are able to make emotional and intimate connections with others.

• Power or control

  • Your belief is that you have power in your day-to-day to solve problems and meet challenges or you may attempt to control the future or those around you.

• Safety

  • Your belief that you can protect yourself or that others are safe to be vulnerable with.

• Trust

  • Your belief is that you can trust yourself, your thoughts and feelings as well as others in your life.

Create More Flexible Thought Patterns and Rewire Your Neural Networks

We use CBT thought reframing tools and DBT dialectical thought formation to create more flexible thought patterns. We can rewire our neural networks and make changes to stuck points and unhelpful thoughts.

Gain Somatic and Mindfulness Techniques to Regulate the Nervous System

Tools rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy can help us ground our bodies, regulate our nervous system and decrease the intensity of overwhelming emotions.