10 Minutes on Trauma PTSD & Addiction

Everyone has heard of "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" but how many people really know what it is? In this video Linda Hill, former EMDR consultant and post-traumatic stress disorder supervisor at Castle Craig Hospital, describes the effect of trauma on the brain.
Trauma has a powerful effect on behaviour and is one of the factors that can contribute to addiction. Those who have suffered some trauma may experience sudden and overwhelming feelings of panic and fear. A common way to deal with these terrifying moments is to "self medicate" with alcohol and drugs.
Linda Hill explains trauma therapy in a way that is surprisingly easy to follow. She also describes EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), as a relatively new and effective therapy which accelerates healing of traumatic memories.
Castle Craig Hospital is one of the few rehab clinics in UK that offers trauma therapy to patients. Dr. Margaret McCann, the Medical Director of Castle Craig, explains why it was introduced:
"I introduced trauma therapy at Castle Craig because there was growing evidence of the need to address unresolved trauma where addiction was complicated by such a history. In particular the role of traumatic memories in relapse was something that couldn't be ignored. In a more general sense I saw that a clinic aspiring to be known as a centre of excellence had to
offer a holistic treatment approach and not focus too narrowly on the treatment of addictions. The introduction of trauma therapy has been an important factor in offering a comprehensive approach to care."
Linda Hill is a Senior Accredited Member of BACP and an EMDR Europe Accredited Consultant.
She works directly with patients with complex trauma histories and many have found great relief from unresolved, painful conflicts from the past.
She has over 20 years' experience of working with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD both within the NHS and in private practice.
Linda previously worked at the Sandyford Initiative in Glasgow with women who had been sexually assaulted or had experienced childhood abuse. Prior to that she worked at the Yorkhill Family Bereavement Centre with people affected by the death of a child, and in hostels and night shelters for people who were homeless. She has extensive experience of working with people with dual diagnosis.
If you would like to speak to a trauma therapist or find out more about Castle Craig please call [phone], email [e-mail]
castlecraig.co.uk/treatment/specialist-therapies/trauma-ptsd