Root Causes of Trauma

In order to recover from trauma, you need to be able to integrate the story. Part of this involves finding the meaning of the event.

May people get stuck with this part, as they keep asking themselves "Why me?" or "Why did this happen?"

We have found that in order for people to understand the meaning of the trauma, it helps to recognise why it happened. Often we find that the trauma is multi-modal, as there are the actions taken by the self (e.g. Randomness: wrong place at the wrong time) and the actions taken by others (E.g. Negligence: someone knew there was a problem but didn't act to resolve the danger).

Below is our matrix for the root causes of trauma.

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PTSD and Bruxism

Bruxism and PTSD: The Teeth Keep the Score

By Al Griskaitis • June 29, 2024

How PTSD Can Lead to Bruxism and Dental Issues: The Teeth Keep the Score By Dr Al Griskaitis, Psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk noted in PTSD that "The body keeps the score". Bruxism is a literal example of that. What is Bruxism? Bruxism is the involuntary grinding or clenching of teeth. It can occur during waking hours (awake bruxism) or during sleep (sleep bruxism). Common signs include worn-down biting surfaces of teeth, erosion of teeth at the gumline (abfraction), jaw pain, headaches, and increased tooth sensitivity. While bruxism is often associated with transient stress, its common connection to PTSD highlights a bodily impact of feeling endangered. Bruxism likely relates to this chronic state of increased arousal from PTSD which can be further exacerbated by alcohol and some medications. What is PTSD? I posit that it is more than a reaction to trauma with a syndrome of symptoms, that's too low resolution. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs when a very serious adversity leads to a "alarm

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It is our aim to offer actionable resources and teach real skills to help people make meaningful change in managing mental health issues, especially for those who can’t access other help.