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Trauma often describes a single event which we associate with violence, accidents or natural disasters. Only recently has there been increasing recognition of the psychological impact of prolonged, recurrent, interpersonal trauma, such as psychological, sexual or physical abuse in childhood (developmental trauma), and chronic abuse in adulthood. PTSD is generally related to a single event or series of events within a short period of time, while complex PTSD is related to a series of events that repeatedly occurred over an extended period of time.
Trauma can impact a person’s sense of safety, sense of self, ability to regulate emotions and navigate relationships. People who experience trauma can often feel shame, helplessness, powerlessness, and intense fear, which can persist long after the trauma has occurred.
“Trauma is not what happens to you; it’s what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you”
– Gabor Maté
Depression ranges in severity from mild, temporary episodes of sadness to severe, persistent depression. Clinical depression is a more severe form and is also known as major depression or major depressive disorder. Symptoms are usually severe enough to cause noticeable problems in relationships or in day-to-day activities, such as self-care, work, school or social activities.
The bipolar spectrum refers to conditions that include not only bipolar disorder as traditionally defined (that is, clear episodes of mania or hypomania as well as depressive syndromes) but also other types of mental conditions, such as treatment-resistant depression or mood swings, with disturbances in impulse control and eating, heightened anxiety, and forms of substance abuse.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood.
Women with ADHD often live undiagnosed. This diagnostic gap happens partly because it’s a condition that was traditionally thought to affect mostly men, but also because women tend to have less obvious or socially disruptive symptoms than men. Men and boys tend to have hyperactive/impulsive ADHD, while women are more likely to exhibit inattentive ADHD, which makes it hard to focus, pay attention to details, stay organized, listen, and remember things.
Symptoms such as emotion dysregulation, psychological distress, feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem are also common. Women with ADHD may feel that their lives are out of control or in chaos, and daily tasks may seem impossibly huge. Later in life, a woman might seek help for her symptoms, only to be misdiagnosed with depression, anxiety, an eating disorder or substance abuse. It can be difficult to distinguish bipolar spectrum from ADHD, although mood episodes associated with bipolar spectrum tend to be more discrete and episodic, with the features of ADHD being continuous across time. Of course, the two entities may also co-exist.
Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress and is characterised by a feeling of fear or apprehension about what is to come. It’s normal to feel anxious about transitions, change, novel situations and life pressure. This type of anxiety is unpleasant, although it can be motivating, and it tends to come and go, without significantly interfering with everyday life.
When anxiety becomes extreme, the feeling of fear may be constant, intense and sometimes debilitating. If severe, it may prevent someone from socialising, using transportation, completing important medical tests, working, or leaving the home.
Severe anxiety may be due to an underlying medical condition or a result of side effects of certain medications. Other risk factors include exposure to developmental or later-life trauma, current life stress, a family history of mental health difficulties, and use of drugs or alcohol.
Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a biologically-based trait (not a condition or disorder) characterized by increased sensitivity of the central nervous system, resulting in greater awareness of and sensitivity to the environment. Highly sensitive people (HSP’s, who constitute around 20% of the population) process sensory stimuli and information more strongly and deeply than their non-HSP counterparts. HSP’s tend to experience greater empathy and emotional reactivity, have a heightened awareness of physical, environmental and social stimuli, and intensified responses to their surroundings.
SPS and ADHD overlap in some ways. Both are characterized by emotional reactivity and susceptibility to overstimulation. The risk of challenges with anxiety and mood is greater, particularly if a highly sensitive person experienced a negative or invalidating childhood.
Services
We specialise in the assessment and treatment of individuals who suffer from issues related to trauma, mood, ADHD, anxiety, and sensory processing. We are a specialist clinic and only accept patients by referral.
Consultations
Patients receive a time-limited psychiatric diagnostic consultation and treatment recommendations, typically over 1 to 4 sessions.
Clinical Treatment
We provide evidence-based, patient-centered, holistic treatment for people with a diverse range of mental health concerns.