Post traumatic stress disorder

Trauma During Adulthood Trauma During Adulthood People are affected by trauma in different ways. This fact sheet, developed by What is a traumatic event? Traumatic events involve either 1) actual or possible death or serious injury or 2) sexual violence. Most adults have lived through at least one traumatic event and many have experienced more than one event. Trauma can also be chronic, meaning that similar events happen many times over a long period of time. There any many different types of traumatic events, but here are some examples: • Sexual or physical abuse or assault • Serious vehicle accidents • Combat or war zone exposure • Serious medical events • Seeing death or dead bodies, including while at work • Unexpected death of a loved one • Natural disasters • Arson or house fires • Torture • Domestic violence • Witnessing or experiencing violence, such as a homicide or suicide • Terrorism or mass violence What are common responses following a traumatic event? Professionals have found three different paths that adults can follow after trauma: • Some people never experience any major problems. This is known as resistance. Resistance is very common after traumas that do not involve sexual assault or abuse. • Many people have symptoms similar to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the weeks after a trauma. For most of those people, those symptoms will then go away on their own. This is known as natural recoveryor resilience. This path is very common among people who ...

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may develop in some people after extremely traumatic events, such as combat, a terrorist attack, crime, an accident, or a natural disaster. People with PTSD may relive the trauma in painful recollections, flashbacks, or recurrent dreams or nightmares; avoid activities or places that recall the traumatic event; or experience physiological arousal, leading to symptoms such as an exaggerated startle response, disturbed sleep, difficulty in concentrating or remembering, and guilt about surviving the trauma when others did not. Adapted from APA Dictionary of Psychology

Learning healthy strategies for coping with PTSD is possible and can offer a sense of renewal, hope, and control over your life. There are a variety of areas in our lives that can be impacted by the symptoms of PTSD and, in order to work toward a healthy recovery, it is important to give attention to each area. Educate Yourself and Others People who struggle with PTSD often do so in isolation, finding it hard to reach out. In fact, they might not even realize that they are struggling with PTSD until the symptoms become nearly unbearable. In addition to educating yourself on the symptoms and treatment, it is important to seek out safe people to connect with who can support you in your recovery journey. By learning about the condition, you can have the words to more clearly explain to others what is happening for you and ask for what you need. Find Supportive Connections There are many resources offered in local communities and online that offer group-based support, such as support groups, classes, community meetings, and online groups. Connecting with others who are going through a similar experience can break down the walls of isolation and help you understand that you are not alone. Interacting with others who are in various stages of healthy recovery can be invaluable to you in your own healing journey. You can discover tips for coping, connect with specialized providers and learn about new and emerging treatment options. Spending time with supportive friends and family ...

It’s easy to confuse Post-traumatic Stress PTS is a common, normal, and often adaptive response to experiencing a traumatic or stressful event. Common occurrences, like car accidents, can trigger PTS as well as more unusual events like military combat or kidnapping. Almost everyone who experiences a scary situation will show at least a few signs of post-traumatic stress. That’s because our brains are hard-wired to tell our bodies to tense our muscles, breathe faster, and pump more blood when we’re under intense stress. This is the “fight-or-flight” response that prepares your body to deal with a threat or challenge in the environment by pumping more blood and oxygen to your muscles, and it shuts down non-critical functions like digestion. This fight-or-flight response is a normal reflex during and sometimes even after a traumatic event, which is why PTS is considered a normal reaction and not a mental illness. PTS Symptoms and Behaviors If you’re experiencing post-traumatic stress, your heart may race, hands shake, you may sweat or feel afraid and nervous. After the stressful event, you might avoid or be leery of engaging in that activity again, you may have a bad dream about the event you just experienced, or you may feel nervous in a situation that reminds you of the unpleasant event. Although they can be momentarily intense, symptoms of PTS usually subside a few days after the event and won’t cause any prolonged meaningful interference with your life. One positive outco...

What Is PTSD? Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition brought on by a trauma. Someone with PTSD has been through or witnessed a traumatic event. They have symptoms that last long after the trauma is over. These symptoms can be: • bad memories, called flashbacks, that make it seem like the trauma is still happening • bad dreams or trouble sleeping • avoiding things that remind them of the trauma • changes in mood, such as feeling sad, moody, angry, or detached • not enjoying things like before • feeling more easily scared, anxious, jumpy, sensitive, or startled Therapy can help people recover from PTSD. They also need understanding, comfort, and support from people in their lives. Not everyone who has been through a trauma will have PTSD. In fact, most won’t. Most people find ways to cope and get past trauma. Therapy and support soon after a trauma can help. What Is a Trauma? A trauma is a stressful event that makes a person fear for their or other people's life or safety. Trauma events that can lead to PTSD include: • physical or sexual abuse, or assault • school or neighborhood violence • natural disasters or fires • car accidents • military combat • sudden or forceful loss of a parent • arrests, evictions • being the target of hate, or threats of harm An event can be a trauma for someone even if they don’t go through the danger themselves. For example, seeing someone else be hurt or die from violence can be a trauma. Hearing that someone close d...