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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur as a
reaction to experiencing traumatic events. The
traumatic event may be sudden, like a natural disaster or fire, a rape, a crime,
a car accident, or combat experiences. Or,
the trauma may have continued over a longer time, as with domestic violence,
childhood abuse or neglect, sexual molestation or incest, living in a war zone,
or living under a violent or oppressive government.
What Are Some Possible Symptoms of PTSD?
Symptoms of PTSD can include:
- Difficulty
“letting go” of the event, or dwelling on “what if?”
- Having
sudden memories (“flashbacks”) of the traumatic event or reliving the
event in your mind, even if you don’t want to
- Nightmares;
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Sleeping
more than usual
- “Survivor
guilt” (feeling guilty for surviving and event when others didn’t)
- Feeling
emotionally overwhelmed, or having emotions get out of control
- Flying
into rages; frustration
- Lack
of interest in usual activities or hobbies; apathy
- Withdrawing
from family, friends, or coworkers; not wanting to talk
- Feeling
emotionally detached, “shut down”, numb, or unable to relate to others
- No
interest in sex
- Being
irritable, jumpy, “on guard”, “wired”, or unable to relax
- Feeling
insecure around friends; feeling uncomfortable in crowds
- Not
wanting to be touched
- Suddenly
crying or crying frequently
- Avoiding
things that remind one of the traumatic experience
- Feeling
fearful or being afraid to leave home; panic attacks
- Increased
conflict with others
- Difficulty
concentrating or remembering things; poor attention span
- Difficulty
making decisions or solving problems
- Confusion
- Reading
something over and over again, but still not understanding it
- Feeling
like your going crazy
- Feeling
helpless
- Violent
fantasies
- Suicidal
thoughts and/or attempts
- Clinging
- Depression
may also be present (feelings of sadness, hopelessness, loneliness, changes
in sleeping or eating habits, difficulty making decisions, lack of energy)
What Help Is Available For PTSD?
Talking about one’s feelings with family, friends, a
support group, or professionals can help a person to recover from PTSD.
Eating right, exercising, structuring one’s time, keeping a journal,
and doing something enjoyable in order to relax can help to ease the symptoms of
PTSD.
Some symptoms can be treated under medical supervision.
(Do not try to use alcohol or illegal drugs to try to ease the symptoms.)
A mental health professional can make a medical diagnosis of PTSD by
asking a series of questions listed in a manual called DSM-IV.
Sources of help can include:
- Employee
Assistance Programs (EAPs) offered by some employers
- Mental
health or psychiatric services
- Victim
assistance centers
- Social
services
- A
support group that addresses the traumatic experience
Recovering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a process
of healing. It can take time.
Professional help, the support of others, and the practical measures
mentioned above can help the healing process.
This information has been written with
resources available from:
PTSD
Alliance
1-877-507-PTSD
Anxiety Disorder Association of America
www.adaa.org
Aftershock (Slaby, 1989)
Sidran Institutue http://www.sidran.org/index.html
Employee Assistance Program for employees of the state of
Washington
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