Trauma/PTSD
Posttraumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a very serious psychiatric
disorder, impacting upon thousands of people each and
every year. In fact, at any given time, 5% of the population
is suffering from PTSD.
Posttraumatic
Stress Disorder can develop in anyone who has witnessed
or experienced a traumatic event. This can range from
events of war, to something like a car accident. In
fact, 1 out of every 2 people will experience at least
one traumatic circumstance in their life.
Each one of
us deals with traumatic events in our own ways. Some
people don’t suffer any adverse effects from traumatic
events, however, there are also those who continue re-experiencing
the event over and over in their minds for months or
even years after the event. This re-experiencing involves
flashbacks, recurring nightmares and other stressful
ways to relive the traumatic event.
Frequently,
these sufferers will try to avoid situations and conversations
that remind them of the traumatic events from which
they are struggling. It can lead to issues getting to
sleep or staying asleep. These people may be jumpy,
startle easily, or seem as though they’re too
alert, as though they’re waiting for another traumatic
event to occur. For sufferers of PTSD, it feels as though
the trauma simply never ends.
It must be
recognized that PTSD isn’t simply that a person
is weak or unable to cope with stress. PTSD is a medical
illness. It is not your fault if you are suffering from
PTSD. It isn’t something you’ve done wrong,
nor is it something that you will be able to control
on your own. It can, however, be treated.
Moreover,
if you believe that you, or someone you know is suffering
from PTSD, action should be taken, as it can develop
into other illnesses, or emphasize illnesses already
in place. Examples are:
Depression
Social Anxiety Disorder (also known as Generalized Social
Anxiety Disorder, and Social Phobia)
Panic Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Substance abuse
Treatment
of PTSD will usually become more of a challenge to treat,
the more illnesses a person suffers from, and the longer
the PTSD has been left to evolve. However, don’t
be discouraged, because there are many different treatment
options that can treat PTSD as well as the other disorders
that may associate themselves with the PTSD.
Treatments
can include both medication and psychological therapy.
Your doctor will have to become clear about the symptoms
from which you suffer, as well as your medical history
and your overall general health, so that you can discuss
possible treatment options. You might find it useful
to keep your day-to-day thoughts and feelings in a journal
so that you can better articulate what you’re
going through to your doctor.
To learn more
about this disorder, please look over the many resources
on this site. PTSD is a serious condition, and it’s
important that you learn more about it so that you can
find help, get proper treatment, and work to recover.
- list item 1
- list item 2
Self Help Options
In the News 
Articles & Webcasts
Self
Assessment
Support
Links
