Traumatic stress service

Specialist service for people experiencing post-traumatic stress

 
The Humber Traumatic Stress Service was set up in 1996 and offers specialist one-to-one assessment, formulation, understanding of difficulties and therpeutic intervention for people who have experienced psychological trauma. We also provide consultation and training to professionals.

We are a multi-disciplinary team based at Victoria House, Park Street, Hull. The team includes professionals from:

• clinical psychology
• occupational therapy
• specialist nursing.

What is psychological trauma?

Psychological trauma involves either a threat or a perceived threat to survival. Post-traumatic responses may develop after experiencing a situation of an exceptionally threatening or catastrophic nature.

Post-traumatic stress is one response to psychological trauma and depends on individual perceptions of events. Reactions can feel overwhelming to the individual and can include; 

Re-experiencing:

- persistent re-experiencing of the trauma through distressing recollections
- recurrent dreams of the event
- flashbacks
- intense psychological, physiological distress or reactivity to cues

Avoidance:

- efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, conversations, activities, places or people associated with the trauma
- inability to recall aspects of the trauma
- loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
- feeling detached or estranged from others
- restricted range of emotions
- sense of foreshortened future

Increased arousal:

- difficulty in falling or staying asleep
- irritability or outbursts of anger
- difficulty concentrating
- hyper vigilance (i.e. being on your guard all the time)
- exaggerated startle response (i.e. being very jumpy)

Examples of traumatic incidents include:

• being a victim of a violent crime (for example physical or sexual assault, bombings, riots)
• surviving an accident or disaster
• traumatic childbirth
• being a veteran of the Armed Forces or emergency service personnel exposed to traumatic events
• witnessing or being exposed to the trauma of others (vicarious traumatisation)

 

Referrals

All referrals to the service come through the Single Point of Access. Ex-military personnel can be referred directly through their GP or through any mental health service. You cannot self-refer to this service.

Single Point of Access: 01482 335000 or email singlepointofaccess@humber.nhs.uk.