General Information Regarding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post Traumatic Stress is a perfectly normal reaction to an abnormal
situation. This can be something such as a home fire, natural disaster,
a physical attack against you or someone you are close to, child abuse,
military combat or even a car accident. Medical scientists define PTSD
as an anxiety disorder that occurs after a terrifying ordeal that
involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. Sometimes it is
simply witnessing the ordeal that can cause the traumatic event.
It is important to note that not everyone who has experienced or
witnessed a traumatic event will develop PTSD. It is usually not until
months and sometimes years later when the symptoms of PTSD actually
start to appear or materialize in noticeable ways. There are a number of
“typical” symptoms that emerge and last for an extended period of time.
Some of these symptoms include flashbacks; this is when the person
suffering the disorder relives the trauma. The flashbacks can begin as
nightmares, with intrusive dreams where the images and events repeat
over and over again until you can no longer sleep. Sometimes you will
wake in a sweat, or shaking violently from fear, with an accelerated
heart rate and even possible trouble breathing.
A variety of triggers – smells, feelings, and sounds can cause the
flashback. For someone who has combat related PTSD, the sound may be a
car backfiring as it drives down the road, a car door slamming or
someone accidentally startling the person. For a rape victim, the
trigger may be the smell of a certain cologne or soap, something that
reminds the rape victim of what the attacker smelled like, or someone
passing them on the street who physically resembles the attacker.
In addition to flashbacks and nightmares, other symptoms may include:
depression, fear of going outside, feeling emotionally numb or
disconnected to others, no longer finding joy or happiness in things
that once brought happiness or interest, sleep disturbances not
associated with nightmares, extreme anxiety in certain situations that
once would have caused no stress at all, unexplained anger and
hypervigilance.
The more recent attention to PTSD, its long-term physical, medical and
mental health consequences, and a better understanding of its causes and
treatment options has become a double-edged sword. In some cases it is
too frequently diagnosed and in others it is completely dismissed
because those who do not fully understand the disorder may not believe
that your trauma was sufficient enough to be the cause. Let there be no
misunderstanding, any traumatic event or an event that was traumatic to
you (whether it would have been to someone else or not) is “sufficient
enough” to cause long-term problems if it is not appropriately dealt
with quickly.
There is a specific criteria for the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder. Although there are “symptom checklists” and such that can be
taken online to determine if you are in the risk range, only a
professional can define PTSD as the disorder that you are facing.
However, if you do believe that you are suffering from PTSD, on any
level, and your physician or health care provider is dismissive of your
concerns, get another opinion. This is a disorder that can not only
effect the quality of your life but the lives of those around you.
Please seek help immediately. |
