Post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced or witnessed a shocking, threatening, or dangerous event. For most individuals who experience a traumatic event, they are able to overcome the trauma and learn to cope with it after some time and sufficient self-care. But, in others, symptoms of PTSD can develop anywhere from a month after the event occurred to years later.
PTSD affects about 7-8% of the population at some point within their lifetimes and is more commonly experienced by women than it is by men.
Are you concerned that you or a loved one may be suffering from PTSD after experiencing a traumatic event? Read on to see if these four signs apply to you.
Intrusive Thoughts
People suffering from PTSD often experience recurring and unwanted thoughts, usually in the form of distressing memories, dreams, or flashbacks. These thoughts can occur in response to words (even your own), people, places, or things that remind you of the traumatic event.
Avoidant Behavior
Another symptom of PTSD is the development of avoidant behavior, i.e., behavior that occurs in order to avoid confronting the trauma. By avoiding places, conversations, activities, or people that remind you of the event you experienced, you avoid facing the trauma itself.
Changes in Cognition and Mood
An increase in negative thoughts and moods typically occurs in those suffering from PTSD. These negative thoughts may be about yourself and others or can be a negative outlook on the future. Cognition can also become impaired when it comes to memory–particularly when attempting to recall key details of the traumatic event.
Increased negative moods can affect your ability to maintain or develop relationships and can manifest in many ways, such as feelings of detachment from loved ones and difficulty in experiencing positive emotions or feeling emotionally numb. These symptoms can worsen after the traumatic event and can lead to feelings of isolation or alienation.
Physical and Emotional Reactivity
Often called arousal symptoms, these are changes in emotional and physical responses to stimuli. These changes can manifest in many ways, from being “on edge” constantly; being easily startled or scared; difficulty sleeping; angry outbursts; and experiencing feelings of shame or guilt.
Children react to trauma differently than adults do, with children under 6 experiencing symptoms such as:
- Reenacting the traumatic event through play
- Bedwetting after toilet training
- Being unusually clingy with parents
- Refusal/inability to speak
Conclusion
If you or a loved one has been experiencing these four symptoms for longer than a month after going through a traumatic event, then it is likely that you or your loved one has developed PTSD. Please, seek out a qualified therapist or psychiatrist and begin receiving the therapy necessary to start the healing process. Cognitive behavioral therapy with a qualified counselor along with medication management is ideal.
Facing trauma can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Let’s face it together.
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