For many people, when they hear of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, they instantly think of individuals who have been through harrowing situations. Often, images of soldiers come to mind and stories about the nation’s freedom fighters are brought up. While soldiers are some of the most prone to experiencing this kind of distress, PTSD can be acquired in many other ways as well. In short, any individual that experiences an exceptionally terrifying event may suffer from the effects of post-traumatic stress.
In one’s efforts to cope with this disorder and reduce its effects on daily activities, it is important to understand what it is, its symptoms, and how to deal with it. Here is a closer look at this basic information.
Post-traumatic stress disorder results when a person is involved in an event that leaves lasting impressions. Often, these events are extraordinarily terrifying such as a car accident, home invasion, sexual violation, and threatened death to name some. For individuals suffering from PTSD, their symptoms may involve unpleasant memories, severe anxiety, nightmares, sudden flashbacks, or uncontrollable thoughts and emotions surrounding the circumstance that was faced.
The symptoms most often associated with PTSD include avoidance when individuals actively try to get away from certain places, people, or things that may trigger thoughts of the event. Avoidance can also be refusing to talk about the events that took place out of fear of bringing back terrifying feelings. Another symptom is intrusive memories like intense dreams where the memory is relived in terrifying detail. Sudden physical reactions to environmental conditions like loud noise, certain smells, or specific sights can also be a sign of intrusive memories. There are still other symptoms like intensity of symptoms, noticeable changes in emotions, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, and negative changes in one’s mood. Noticing these symptoms is crucial to making a proper diagnosis and getting help immediately.
Coping with this disorder can be done in a variety of ways including treatment plans, drugs, therapy, and changes in lifestyle. Often, patients will work closely with medical professionals to receive a proper diagnosis and a customized treatment plan that will suit their needs and the situation they experienced. For an individual dealing with PTSD, having the support of family members throughout the treatment process is important to provide encouragement. Once an adequate treatment plan has been prescribed, it is important for the person to continue following it and working with medical professionals to modify it as needed. This will help reduce the side effects of the symptoms associated with PTSD.
For more information about post-traumatic stress disorder, please visit the following website.