Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

What is PTSD?

Post-Traumatic Stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that effects approximately 7.7 million Americans. It can be caused by numerous events such as war (it was once referred to as “battle fatigue” and “shell shock”), being a victim of violent crime (rape, mugging, torture, kidnapping), accidents such as car accidents or natural disasters or a number of other traumatic events. Often times the event happens to the primary individual, but there are many cases where just witnessing an event (such as something happening to a loved one) can cause PTSD.

What are symptoms of PTSD?

• Persistent and recurring painful recalling of events (can be through images, thoughts, or perceptions)
• Upsetting dreams of the event
• Reliving the experience (may be acting as though it is happening , hallucinating, or flashbacks)
• Acute  psychological distress when faced with things that remind the person of the event
• Physiological reactions to stimuli reminiscent of event
• Increased agitation
  • Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
  • Irritability
  • Anger outbursts
  • Lack of concentration
  • Startling easily
• Avoidance of things associated with events (not previously done before occurrence of event)
  • Avoiding thoughts, emotions, or talking about the event
  • Cutting off contact with people associated with memories of the event
  • Avoiding activities or places associated with the event
  • Inability to remember or bring up important aspects of the trauma
  • Lack of interest in activities, especially those that may have an association with the event
  • Feeling detached or unable to relate to others
  • Unable to process feelings (such as love toward others)
  • Expecting little of the future (by way of marriage, work, family, health, etc.)

What do people with PTSD experience?

• Intense distress
• Reliving of the traumatic event in a variety of ways
• Physiological reactions to stimuli associated with the event
• Nightmares
• Panic Attacks
• Depression
• Flashbacks (reliving the trauma)
• Problems with sleep
• Feeling detached
• Feeling numb
• Startling or scaring easily
• Irritability
• Anger
• Aggression (sometimes resorting in violence)
• Loss of interest in activities formerly enjoyed
• Difficulty with affection
• Avoidance of things associated with the trauma

What happens when you have PTSD?

I’ve already mentioned the basics here involving how a person with PTSD may act or issues they might encounter, but what can really happen? PTSD ranges from mild to severe and people who experience traumatic events can have many or all of the above symptoms. In many cases events brought on by another person (such as rape or kidnapping) have a more intense effect on a person than that of an outside source like a natural disaster or accident. Often times, as with many other mental illnesses, PTSD can be accompanied by other ailments such as depression, substane abuse, or anxiety (PTSD is classified as an anxiety disorder, after all). Some people with PTSD have a relatively high level of functioning and it may not even be clear to them what their anxiety stems from exactly and some people have huge difficulty socializing or even working.

What are flashbacks?

Flashbacks occur when a person relives or reenacts the trauma. This can cause a person to lose touch with reality. The feelings associated with a flashback are very distressing and may come in various forms like images or even smells.

How are you diagnosed?

As with any illness, mental or otherwise, only a qualified professional can really diagnose an individual with PTSD. A person must experience symptoms for at least a month for the diagnosis to be complete. Often times the symptoms begin within three months of the trauma, but sometimes symptoms don’t appear until several months or years have passed.

How long does PTSD last?

The degree and duration of PTSD varies from person to person. Some people never develop PTSD from a traumatic event while others develop a serious and debilitating case. In some people, symptoms go away after a few months and for others they experience symptoms for years after the trauma. Occasionally PTSD can become chronic.

I hope this brief introduction to PTSD was helpful and informative.  I’m planning to make a post about my own battles with PTSD, but as you might imagine, it’s turning out to be more difficult than I thought.  Even writing this and talking about symptoms causes triggers in me and I become upset or angry, but this is something I knew would happen from the start.  More on my own battles with PTSD and current treatment plans in the near future.

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