You had something terrible happen to you in the past and you think that you forgot about it. Or maybe, you still remember what happened but you think it will go away if you ignore it or try and forget it. Nothing could be further from the truth. The harder you try to forget something, the more that you remember it. Soit is better to face the memory and to deal with it. If you don't resolve it, the memory will continue to haunt you. And, the ghosts of the past interfere with your life today.

Traumatic events such as being in an accident, being a crime victim, a loved one dying in an unexpected and traumatic way, to name a few, cause us to react in ways that cause the memory of the event to freeze in memory in a different way than other memories which leads to replays and re-experiencing of the memory. There is no reason to suffer anymore. There are treatment approaches that can eliminate this suffering in a short period of time.

When upsetting and disturbing events occur, we are not prepared for them and we cannot cope with them when they happen. At Columbine High School, the memory of what happened is etched on the minds of the students, their teachers, their families and our Nation. The closer you are to the traumatic event, the more profound is the effect. So, you need to understand that these things do not go away on their own. It is important to know that you can control these experiences and learn how to manage them positively so that you do not get "stuck in time" with the memories. With proper evaluation and treatment, you can be free of the past and the hold that it has had on your development and daily functioning.

To learn more about our services and programs for trauma, click here for our services and program description.

Sincerely,

John Garlock, Ed.D., Ph.D., LPC, LMFT, LCDC, CEAP