View ’10 Minutes on Trauma’ on our Short Video Clips Page

View ’10 Minutes on Trauma’ on our Short Video Clips Page

Everyone has heard of “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” but how many people really know what it is? In this video Linda Hill, an EMDR consultant and senior psychotherapist at Castle Craig Hospital, describes the effect of trauma on the brain.

Trauma has a powerful effect on behaviour and is one of the factors that can contribute to addiction. Those who have suffered some trauma may experience sudden and overwhelming feelings of panic and fear. A common way to deal with these terrifying moments is to “self-medicate” with alcohol and drugs.

Linda Hill, who is a consultant to Castle Craig rehab clinic in Scotland, explains trauma therapy in a way that is surprisingly easy to follow. She also describes EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), as a relatively new and effective therapy which accelerates healing of traumatic memories. 

Castle Craig Hospital is one of the few rehab clinics in UK that offers trauma therapy to patients. Dr. Margaret McCann, the Medical Director of Castle Craig, explains why it was introduced:

“I introduced trauma therapy at Castle Craig because there was growing evidence of the need to address unresolved trauma where addiction was complicated by such a history. In particular the role of traumatic memories in relapse was something that couldn’t be ignored. In a more general sense I saw that a clinic aspiring to be known as a centre of excellence had to offer a holistic treatment approach and not focus too narrowly on the treatment of addictions. The introduction of trauma therapy has been an important factor in offering a comprehensive approach to care.”