A terrifying experience like being involved in the recent fireworks factory explosion in East Sussex, which killed two and injured twelve people, can leave a person with trauma that can affect their quality of life for many years afterwards. Trauma caused by the oil refinery explosion near Hemel Hempstead last year still surfaces in counselling sessions.

In the case of a single incident trauma such as these two explosions, the key to recovery is seeking treatment early on before the symptoms cause further mental health issues.
Traumatic memories do not fade in the same way, and as time goes by they may become worse. These memories are usually connected with a life threatening or other serious event and are more deeply embedded in the brain as a 'survival template'. If they are not treated they may continue to fire off strong emotional reactions at inappropriate moments and thereby cause trouble for the rest of the sufferer's life.
Trauma, as a medical term, refers to any injury or wound violently inflicted on the body. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that often follows a terrifying physical, life threatening, or perceived as life-threatening, event. The symptoms of trauma include insomnia, nightmares, hallucinations, flashbacks and panic attacks.

Persons with PTSD often feel chronically, emotionally numb. Once referred to as “shell shock” or “battle fatigue”. About 25 per cent of people involved in major traumatising events go on to develop long-term PTSD symptoms. This percentage rises if life-threatening incidents are almost constantly repeated, as in front line fighting during sustained battles in war.

Anyone who treats or cares for people who have been traumatised, or suffer from some type of phobia or anxiety disorder need to understand how the pattern matching processes in the brain can at times cause severe phobic responses – and how to lift them. These skills are taught on “The fast trauma and phobia cure workshop”, available around the UK from East Sussex-based MindFields College.  A network of therapists around the UK can also help with trauma symptoms.  To find one near you, visit www.hgi.org.uk.

Joe Griffin, director of studies at MindFields College, explains “More and more people are discovering how this works, and there is pressure to make it available on the NHS.  We have had Falklands veterans and Gulf War veterans completely cured through this and the British Legion is an advocate.”

For more information, please contact MindFields College on 01323 811 440 or visit www.mindfields.org.uk

MindFields College
Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell both teach for MindFields College, the first specialist psychology college in Europe, which, from its base in East Sussex, runs a powerful educational programme of seminars, workshops and diploma courses throughout the UK and Ireland.  Each year approximately 12,500 professionals from the NHS, social services, education and the private sector attend these courses which are designed to show how to use scientific findings about the mind/body system to make their work more effective.


For all media enquiries, please contact: Kim Hirschman at MindFields College on 01323 811 440 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it