Bad Stuff, Trauma and PTSD: How COVID blew the lid off it all

Dr. Mary Jo Kreitzer welcomes attendees to an integrative nursing webinar, introducing Jane McCamill Stewart as the speaker on trauma and PTSD, especially in the context of COVID-19. Integrative nursing focuses on holistic healing using evidence-based practices. COVID-19 notably impacted healthcare professionals, leading to increased stress and trauma.

Jane McCamill Stewart introduces herself as an integrative trauma healer, emphasizing the interaction between mind, body, and soul in trauma treatment. She highlights the impact of trauma on the body using Bessel van der Kolk’s book. Trauma, she explains, also heavily involves spirituality, requiring a holistic approach.

Stewart outlines three objectives for the session: distinguishing between covert/overt trauma and PTSD, identifying traumatic reactions, and emphasizing body-focused treatments for trauma. She stresses that typical talk therapy is inadequate and highlights the need for integrated trauma care approaches.

Stewart offers historical context, noting trauma was formally recognized in 1980, primarily among war veterans. She critiques its delayed recognition and highlights new research, including epigenetic trauma. Misdiagnosis of trauma as depression or anxiety persists, yet trauma is revealed as treatable, offering hope for resilience.

Trauma, Stewart explains, centers around powerlessness during life-threatening events, causing present reactions influenced by past experiences. She introduces the concept of trauma as a 'disorder of time and place,' emphasizing the need for recognizing the beginning and end of traumatic events to aid recovery and recontextualization.

Stewart differentiates 'overt' trauma (specific traumatic events) from 'covert' trauma (persistent stress over time), critiquing the misleading 'big T' and 'little T' labels. She explains overt trauma is often easier to treat, while chronic covert traumas pose more challenges.

Spotting traumatic reactions involves noting disproportionate responses to situations. Traumatic reactions may include denial, hyper-vigilance, or excessive emotional responses. Distinguishing PTSD typically involves nightmares or flashbacks—a reliving of past trauma impacting present well-being.

Stewart discusses common symptoms diagnosing PTSD including sleep disturbances, flashbacks, and unexpected emotional reactions. Misdiagnoses, such as anxiety or panic attacks, can occur. Many physical complaints like IBS may have trauma roots. She emphasizes treatment adaptability and non-pharmaceutical approaches.

Stewart introduces the 'rule of two': trauma symptoms often arise during a second, triggering experience, explaining why some traumas seem dormant. The COVID-19 pandemic, she notes, universally triggered dormant traumas, creating a global surge in trauma symptoms.

Treating trauma requires recognition and compassion. Stewart introduces a simple tapping exercise to process trauma through compassion. She advocates heart coherence exercises and names several body-focused therapies like EMDR. Importance is placed on integrating body-focused techniques alongside talk therapy.