What Is Trauma?

Traumatic events include physical, psychological and sexual abuse; terrorism and war; domestic violence; witnessing violence against others; and accidents and natural disasters. They can result in serious stress and detrimental consequences for survivors and their families.¹ Approximately one half (50 percent) of all individuals will be exposed to at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Although the majority of individuals will be able to absorb the trauma over time, many survivors will experience long-lasting problems. Approximately 8 percent of survivors will develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many survivors currently living with PTSD experience symptoms that are both chronic and severe. These include: nightmares, insomnia, somatic disturbances, difficulty with intimate relationships, fear, anxiety, anger, shame, aggression, suicidal behaviors, loss of trust and isolation.
Psychological disorders may also occur in conjunction with PTSD including depression, anxiety and alcohol/substance abuse problems.

Facts about Trauma:

Crisis-based events are divided into 3 types of trauma:

Acute trauma: This results from a single stressful or dangerous event.

Chronic trauma: This results from repeated and prolonged exposure to highly stressful events. Examples include cases of child abuse, bullying, or domestic violence.

Complex trauma: This results from exposure to multiple traumatic events.

It is important to address and recieve support for any of these classifications of trauma. This is the reason for the structure our trauma support system. We want to insure that the approaches we use to treat and support our clients fully address the impact of an individual's experiences.

Traumatic events can result in serious stress and detrimental consequences for survivors who are women and their families.




Facts About Women and Trauma


Women at Risk

Research indicates that women are twice as likely to develop PTSD, experience a longer duration of posttraumatic symptoms and display more sensitivity to stimuli that remind them of the trauma.

Although women are at greater risk for negative consequences following traumatic events, many often hesitate to seek mental health treatment. Survivors often wait years to receive help, while others never receive treatment at all.

Untreated posttraumatic symptoms not only have tremendous mental health implications, but can also lead to adverse effects on physical health. Female survivors may encounter physical symptoms including headaches, gastro-intestinal problems and sexual dysfunction.

Although the mental and physical symptoms of PTSD stress can be quite debilitating, trauma is often undiagnosed by health professionals due to a lack of training, time and resources.


Facts About Men and Trauma
Men at Risk

Men, in particular, have long been conditioned to tough it out when it comes to dealing with the results of a traumatic experience. In fact, it was as late as 1980 that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) recognized Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as the result of having gone through a traumatic experience in this case, war combat. But even with the acknowledgment that the effects of trauma from war are real and many veterans are receiving the treatment they need — the effects of other forms of trauma on men have yet to be fully recognized and affirmed. These everyday guys may bury their trauma so deep that symptoms such as panic attacks, pain disorders, phobias, and addictions seem to come out of nowhere.

There are a variety of effective treatment interventions for men who have survived traumatic events, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, group treatment, pharmacotherapy and psychodynamic interventions.

Respecting the sensitivity of our clients' individual needs

BHI's Specialized Trauma Support Groups(Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-(PTSD)groups are clinically supervised support groups for men and women having been diagnosised with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). The groups are gender specific to insure the address of trauma issues that are gender-based. The groups as well address trauma issues that may not be gender-based, however, each individual in the group will have the opportunites to address, and receive support for their trauma issues that range from general to gender specific on a continuum.

Our Support groups are clinically supervised/clincially structured groups, making the groups approriate for the comfort level needed for the benefits of clients being able to address their truama issues in a professionally and clinically protected environment. BHI's Specialized Post-traumatic Stress Disorders groups are designed for individuals having been diagnosed with Post-trumatic stress disorder(PTSD). Client are assigned to groups based on the outcomes of their diagnostics and evaluations to insure the appropriate level of privacy, for clients who prefer addressing their trauma related issues in an environment that is diagnostically and theraputically structured. The groups as well address Post-traumatic stress disorder issues that may be generic in nature, however, each individual in the group will have the opportunites to address, and receive support for their PTSD diagnosis-related issues that range from general to individual specific on a continuum.

Specialized Trauma Support Groups

(Diagnositic Specific Groups)

Men and Women groups

Behavioral Health Interventions of Greater St. Louis announces our development of Our Trauma Support Groups featuring the address of issues that includes, but are not limted to the following issues:

Domestic Violence

Child Abuse History

Violence Victimization

Grief & Loss

Witnessing of Violence

Torture & War

Sexual Assault

Abandonment Issues

What is a Mood Disorder? A mood disorder is a mental health class that health professionals use to broadly describe all types of depression and bipolar disorders. People in any age-range can have mood disorders. However, symptoms may differ for children, teens, and adults. It’s more challanging to diagnose mood disorders in children because children sometimes have a harder task of identifying their emotions. Facts about Mood Disorders:

Mood Disorders are divided into 5 classes:

Major Depression:

Dysthymia:

Bipolar Disorder:

Mood disorders related to another health condition:.

Substance-induced mood disorder: .
It is important to address and recieve support for any of these classifications of mood disorders. This is the reason for the structure our Moood disorders support system. We want to insure that the approaches we use to treat and support our clients fully address the impact of an individual's experiences.

Mood disorders can result in serious stress and detrimental consequences for the individual suffering from the illnes and his/her families, including, but not limited to:
Short term effects:

Inability to perform a job

Damage to social and family relationships

Loss of Self-Confidence

Long-term effects:

Adverse changes to the body and psych

Decreased amoung of energy

Low-self-esteem

Inability to maintain employment

Inability to perform basic personal care

Becoming lost in illusional worlds

Loss of relationships

Facts About Women and Trauma


Women at Risk

Research indicates that women are twice as likely to develop PTSD, experience a longer duration of posttraumatic symptoms and display more sensitivity to stimuli that remind them of the trauma.

Although women are at greater risk for negative consequences following traumatic events, many often hesitate to seek mental health treatment. Survivors often wait years to receive help, while others never receive treatment at all.

Untreated posttraumatic symptoms not only have tremendous mental health implications, but can also lead to adverse effects on physical health. Female survivors may encounter physical symptoms including headaches, gastro-intestinal problems and sexual dysfunction.

Although the mental and physical symptoms of PTSD stress can be quite debilitating, trauma is often undiagnosed by health professionals due to a lack of training, time and resources.

Specialzed Trauma Support Groups

BHI's Specialized Trauma Support Groups(Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-(PTSD)groups are clinically supervised support groups for men and women having been diagnosised with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). The groups are gender specific to insure the address of trauma issues that are gender-based. The groups as well address trauma issues that may not be gender-based, however, each individual in the group will have the opportunites to address, and receive support for their trauma issues that range from general to gender specific on a continuum. Our Support groups are clinically supervised/clincially structured groups, making the groups approriate for the comfort level needed for the benefits of clients being able to address their truama issues in a professionally and clinically protected environment. BHI's Specialized Post-traumatic Stress Disorders groups are designed for individuals having been diagnosed with Post-trumatic stress disorder(PTSD). Client are assigned to groups based on the outcomes of their diagnostics and evaluations to insure the appropriate level of privacy, for clients who prefer addressing their trauma related issues in an environment that is diagnostically and theraputically structured. The groups as well address Post-traumatic stress disorder issues that may be generic in nature, however, each individual in the group will have the opportunites to address, and receive support for their PTSD diagnosis-related issues that range from general to individual specific on a continuum.

What Is a Mood Disorder?

Mood Disorders Support Groups

(Diagnositic Specific Groups)

Men and Women groups

Behavioral Health Interventions of Greater St. Louis announces our development of Our Mood Disorders Support Groups featuring the address of issues that includes, but are not limted to the following issues:

Bipolar Disorder I

Bipolar Disorder II

Cyclothymic Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder

Persistent Depressive Bipolar I Disorder

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

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