Birth Trauma Treatment Scotland

What Is Birth Trauma?

As defined by the mental health charity Mind, birth trauma is a type of postnatal post-traumatic stress disorder that arises when traumatic events during labour and childbirth occur.

Similar to other forms of post-traumatic stress disorder, postnatal birth trauma sees women experience vivid flashbacks, nightmares and replicated physical sensations similar to those that may have been encountered during birth.

Signs and Symptoms Of Birth Trauma

Sadly, birth trauma comes hand-in-hand with a wealth of signs and symptoms. However, as many of the symptoms associated with birth trauma are psychological, it can be challenging to ascertain whether an individual is suffering from birth trauma.

If you are personally struggling with birth trauma, as touched on above, you will likely experience flashbacks, nightmares and physical sensations similar to those encountered during childbirth. You may also find it difficult to sleep, and you may feel increasingly anxious.

Some women may also find it difficult to bond with their newborn baby, whereas others will become exceptionally overprotective of their child.

In other instances, women who struggle with birth trauma will isolate themselves from others and avoid any places, events, or people that remind them of the trauma experienced, and this can lead to drug or alcohol addiction.

If you are familiar with any of the symptoms noted above, please do not be afraid to ask for help.

Birth Trauma Treatment at Nova Recovery Scotland

As birth trauma is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder, much of the birth trauma treatment that we provide at Nova Recovery will encourage you to reflect on the trauma that you have experienced in a bid to help you cope better with the emotions and feelings that swarm your mind.

Our birth trauma treatment will also ensure that you can mitigate the overall impact your birth trauma has on your day-to-day life by helping you create coping strategies.

Although the birth trauma treatment you are offered will entirely depend on the severity of your post-traumatic stress disorder, you will likely encounter a combination of psychological and well-being therapies.

Psychological Therapy For Birth Trauma

Psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy and trauma counselling are highly effective forms of addiction and birth trauma treatment.

As touched on above, each of these therapies will encourage you to reflect on the trauma experienced.

While you may find this difficult, with the help of our experienced psychologists, doing so will enable you to regain control of your emotions, thoughts and behaviour.

Well-Being Therapy For Birth Trauma

Although psychological therapy is instrumental in overcoming birth trauma and addiction, at Nova Recovery, we encourage those in our rehab to participate in well-being therapy.

Well-being therapy provides an additional outlet when it comes to expressing emotions and feelings. It helps many relieve themselves of suppressed emotions through the employment of activities such as yoga.

Please bear in mind that our substance abuse and birth trauma treatment programmes are bespoke to your needs. Considering this, you may not experience all of the treatments discussed above.

If you would like to find out more about the dual diagnosis birth trauma treatment that we can offer you, we welcome you to contact us directly. In doing so, our admissions team can conduct a pre-admissions assessment and offer you a wealth of advice and guidance.

Family Birth Trauma Treatment

Although birth trauma has severe consequences on the lives of women who have personally experienced traumatic births, birth trauma can also have negative impacts on families. As a result, family birth trauma treatment may be required.

Usually, family therapy is incorporated into psychological therapy and will see affected family members invited to participate in a number of family therapy sessions.

Family therapy will help the family members affected navigate the trauma they have experienced.