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🇦🇹 Austria /Health & Science

Psychotherapist: Difficulty Setting Boundaries Endangers Traumatized Individuals

From Der Standard · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Interview Sources not specified Context piece
  • Traumatized individuals often struggle to set boundaries, putting them at risk, according to a psychotherapist.
  • The long-term consequences of psychological trauma, such as flashbacks and pain, are often underestimated.
  • Therapy can help individuals reframe these symptoms and improve their chances of healing.

Psychotherapist Marc Heusser emphasizes that individuals suffering from trauma frequently find it difficult to establish personal boundaries. This inability to set limits can leave them vulnerable and endangered, a critical aspect of trauma recovery that is often overlooked.

Traumatized people often have difficulty setting boundaries. This endangers them.

— Marc Heusser, psychotherapistHighlighting the vulnerability of traumatized individuals due to their difficulty in setting boundaries.

Heusser notes that the psychological wounds resulting from shocking experiences are commonly underestimated. However, the consequences can be severe and far-reaching. Traumatized individuals may experience debilitating symptoms like flashbacks, unexplained physical pain, or dissociation, which are often misdiagnosed or misunderstood.

Psychological injuries after shocking experiences are often underestimated. The consequences can be fatal.

— Marc Heusser, psychotherapistEmphasizing the serious and often underestimated impact of trauma.

Therapy plays a crucial role in helping these individuals correctly interpret and manage their symptoms. Heusser points out that while public attention and resources are often mobilized for acute crises like the Crans-Montana fire disaster, less attention is given to more pervasive forms of trauma, such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, or neglect. He has dedicated 20 years to treating traumatized children and adolescents in Zurich, highlighting the persistent need for specialized care.

Traumatized people often suffer from flashbacks, unexplained pain, or dissociation. Therapy helps to correctly attribute these symptoms again.

— Marc Heusser, psychotherapistDescribing common symptoms of trauma and the role of therapy in managing them.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Der Standard in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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