What Is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD can occur after experiencing a single traumatic event or a series of traumatic events. What constitutes a traumatic event? Well, the list is endless. It can be something like an attack or an injury. It might be an accident, or a large-scale natural disaster. Some occupations expose people to traumatic experiences such as blue light services or the military. A traumatic event might be a sudden loss or bereavement. It might be bullying or harassment.
One of the challenges associated with PTSD is that people don’t always recognise their experiences as traumatic. This can prevent them getting the right help. Sometimes people compare themselves to others and downplay what they’ve been through as a result. But trauma is a very individual experience. What is traumatic for one person isn’t necessarily traumatic for another. It's often about the context of an experience rather than the event itself.
Signs and Symptoms to Look Out For
Symptoms of PTSD fall into four main groups:
1. Hypervigilance
Hypervigilance is a bit like being on high alert, so you might notice you feel jumpy or more anxious than usual. You may also be more irritable or easily agitated. Some people experience an increased startle response. Others describe feeling really on edge all the time as if something bad is about to happen.
2. Intrusions
There are typically two main types of intrusions. You may experience nightmares or distressing dreams when you sleep. This can lead to a fear of sleeping, disrupted sleep and tiredness.
The other kind of intrusion, sometimes called flashbacks, happens while you’re awake. You might experience a series of still images in your mind or thoughts that feel like a video of the traumatic event. Sometimes flashbacks are more subtle. They can feel like a thought or an emotion that reminds us of the traumatic event.
Intrusions can be triggered by things we see, hear or smell. A trigger might be something somebody says or does, or it might be experiencing an emotion similar to one we felt at the time of the trauma.
For many people, intrusions are very distressing. It can be difficult to differentiate between what happened then and what is happening now. Intrusions can lead to lots of fear, high levels of distress, and anxiety, fuelling the sense that something bad is happening in the present.
3. Avoidance
To manage intrusions and hypervigilant feelings, people often avoid things that remind them of the traumatic event. At first, this may be a handful of things that are exact replicas of the trauma, but over time people often begin to avoid more and more things. This can lead to them becoming increasingly isolated and less likely to do things they would normally enjoy.
Some people use specific things to avoid their symptoms and dampen down the thoughts and images in their mind. For example, people might use alcohol, substances or medications to dull their psychological experiences. Some people use self-harm as a way of coping with their emotions. Others develop certain behaviours designed to keep them safe, such as not going to places, not driving on certain roads, or only visiting certain places in the company of others. All these behaviours mean their life becomes more and more restricted.
4. Negative Beliefs
Often, when people have experienced a traumatic event, they are left with unhelpful beliefs that begin to form part of how they see the world. These beliefs can also reinforce negative emotional states such as fear, guilt, anxiety and low self-esteem.
Sometimes people misplace responsibility for a traumatic event, blaming themselves for something that isn’t their fault. Some people overestimate the likelihood of something terrible happening again or they underestimate their ability to cope in future difficult situations.
When to Seek Help
The sooner you get some help the better, but it’s never too late to treat a traumatic event. To a certain extent, it is normal to feel upset or anxious and have difficulties with mood and sleep after experiencing a traumatic event. Usually, we would expect this to settle down in around 6 to 8 weeks. If you find you are struggling beyond this point, it’s worth seeking professional support to assess the issue. Before the 6-8 week mark, if your symptoms are very severe, I would still advise you to get help.
Treatment for PTSD
PTSD is very treatable. It is not something you need to live with long-term. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy are the recommended treatments for PTSD. Both have excellent results. It’s not about erasing the experience or acting like it never happened. It’s about finding a way to eradicate the symptoms and eliminate any negative beliefs so you can live a fulfilling, meaningful life despite your traumatic experiences.
PTSD in Children and Young People
PTSD can affect people of all ages. At Fortitude, as well as working with adults, we’re lucky to have a member of the team who is trained to deliver EMDR to children and young people.
Find Out More
If you’re struggling with any of the things described in this article and you’d like support to help you heal and recover, please get in touch. I also share lots of tips and advice via Instagram.
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