PTSD OVERVIEW
When something traumatic happens it’s understandable to experience feelings such as numbness or having trouble sleeping. This is sometimes described as an ‘acute stress reaction’. These symptoms usually disappear within a few weeks. If they persist, you might be given a diagnosis of PTSD. Someone suffering from PTSD often relives the traumatic event through flashbacks, nightmares and may feel isolated. It is also not uncommon to feel irritable and guilty and to find concentrating difficult. With PTSD these symptoms can be severe enough to have a significant impact daily life.
What causes PTSD?
- Severe road accident
- Severe neglect, War, Rape
- Witnessing violent deaths, personal assaults
- Being held hostage, Terrorist attacks
- Prolonged sexual abuse or violence
- Natural disasters, such as earthquakes
- Accidents in automobiles, trains, or planes
- Mass shootings, Robbery
- Murder, Assault, Terrorist attacks
- Sudden death of a loved one
- Any other kind of violence
PTSD Symptoms
The most widely reported symptom of PTSD and arguably the most distressing includes re-experiencing the initial source of trauma, which can appear in the form of flashbacks, nightmares, thoughts and physical sensations causing sweating and trembling. Whichever form involuntarily reliving the traumatic event takes, it will often feel intensely vivid and closely mimic the initial physical and emotional responses felt when your trauma initially took place.
The signs and symptoms most commonly experienced by those with PTSD include:
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Difficulty concentrating
- Depression, Irritability
- Feeling on-guard all of the time
- Trouble sleeping, Impulsive behavior
- Nightmares or flashbacks
- Startling easily, Anxiety, Avoidance
- Loss of deep feelings, Difficulty in concentrating
- Suffering painful emotions such as guilt, anger and anxiety
- Headaches, dizziness and chest pains
Treatment for PTSD
We are very experienced in recognizing and understanding Post Traumatic Stress disorder. PTSD is not a disease, it is a reaction to a stressful event and cannot be cured simply by writing down some pills to fix the issue. PTSD requires intensive therapy to get to the root of the traumatic event. How it affected the patient, how it could have otherwise affected the patient, the patient’s response, there are many things that we consider before deciding upon and starting a comprehensive treatment approach that will cover all bases. We have extensive experience in treating patients of PTSD as well as other overlapping anxiety disorders.
We also have extensive experience in providing counseling in different applications, such as cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD, in which we help patients analyze the events objectively, and consider the things that have caused them stress, and how they can now overcome it. We assist the patients in reaching healthy conclusions for themselves, and see how the negative impact of the situation can be overcome. We employ a multitude of approaches, such as Exposure therapy, in which hesitant patient are helped to discuss the event over and over again, till it no longer weighs upon them with the fear or control it has before.
Sadly, many people with PTSD believe that because they cannot erase the trauma, they are doomed to live with their symptoms forever. However, treatment is available. Experienced mental health professionals can help people with PTSD reduce their symptoms and return to daily life, even if the pain of the trauma never fully subsides.
There is Hope for Recovery!