Dr. Marti Loring

Ouch My Trauma Hurts (OMTH) We are being bombarded with frightening, threatening, and saddening crises, one after another! There is no time to recover from one before another hits. It is like a war where our mental health is rocked and exploded. Some stay angry, while others feel hopeless and helpless.

We can recognize our own or others’ trauma. We may see zoning out, anxiety symptoms like being irritable or over-eating/drinking/unprescribed medicine-taking. Sometimes people with trauma actually hear or see things that are not really there. Crazy? Not at all! Trauma is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation: Sexual/emotional/physical abuse

Ouch My Trauma Hurts (OMTH) Moral injury is a wound to the heart and soul. It can come from our not being able to prevent or even stop inhumane acts—the pain, suffering, and death of others. These witnessed horrors are described by many observers watching current arrests and deportations. Not the

In the picture, Cinder Cockerspaniel steps over barriers to exercise her left elbow in physical therapy (much improved arthritis). As a trauma expert, I believe that barriers in life are harder to overcome when we're coping with trauma symptoms! These barriers can include conflicts in relationships, hard problems in our

Traumatic events can be horrible! So is the sadness and grief afterward. You may not love green beans, but Cinder Cockerspaniel does (and has more energy since the discovery of her love)! Choose your and others' treats- they can help lessen sadness and grief a bit. So can counseling. Disclaimer: The information

Ouch My Trauma Hurts (OMTH) Have you noticed bookshelves on social media and television- many people like to sit in front of a bookshelf while being interviewed. I always look here and there, in front of and next to the books—what items represent values/secrets of the person whose head I see? The

We notice our own trauma symptoms like high anxiety, high startle response (jumpy and hyper alert), and a sense of terror that accompanies us—an unwanted companion. Terror can transverse our bodies so that we have stomach and head aches, as well as other somatic (physical) symptoms that drain our energy

Sometimes others notice our trauma symptoms that we aren’t aware of. They may point out that we are staring into space, not answering a question, or looking sad. Trauma can involve dissociation in which we are not always aware of our environment. Perhaps anxiety and fear are crowding our minds,

As a trauma expert, I believe that trying to be prepared for traumatic events can be really helpful if these events occur. A fire extinguisher is useful for a small, starting stove fire or things like that. It’s always smart to call for help as well. Reading directions and making