POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
PTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events, it is associated with personal trauma such as violence, rape or abuse. The condition was first recognised in war veterans and has been known by a variety of names, such as 'shell shock'.
Symptoms of PTSD
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Vivid flashbacks (feeling like the trauma is happening right now)
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Intrusive thoughts and images
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Nightmares: recurrent dreams of the event
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Avoidance; keeping busy; avoiding reminders/stimuli connected to the event
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Inability to express affection; feeling detached, cut off and numb
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Intense psychological distress or physiological activity triggered when exposed to similar events, eg anniversaries of the event, returning to the area of the event etc
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Sleep disturbance; difficulty falling or staying asleep
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Irritability/aggression
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Inability to concentrate
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Hypervigilance - extreme alertness panic responses; easily startled
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Physical sensations such as pain, sweating, nausea or trembling
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Self-destructive behaviour or recklessness
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Other symptoms of anxiety
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Using alcohol or drugs to avoid memories
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Feeling like you can't trust anyone
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Feeling like nowhere is safe
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Feeling like nobody understands
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Blaming yourself for what happened
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Overwhelming feelings of anger, sadness, guilt or shame
Living with PTSD
I have dealt with my traumas through CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) accompanied by seeing a psychiatrist/counsellor. CBT gave me my confidence back and made me challenge unwanted thoughts and was able to speak to others who also suffered from PTSD. Moving forward I needed to attend CBT to help squash old beliefs and behaviour patterns. Counselling and group therapy was positive as it enabled me to talk everything through without judgement, and things which I thought were normal, turned out to be toxic and detrimental to my well-being.
I still suffer from symptoms, BUT now I know how to deal with them and can stop myself from spiralling out of control.
WHAT IS A FLASHBACK?
A flashback is reliving aspects of a traumatic experience/event, feeling that it is happening again.
Images appearing in your mind/head, seeing images of what happened
Noticing sounds smells and tastes - triggers that remind you of an unpleasant experience
Feeling physical sensations e.g. pain/pressure
Overwhelming emotions that take over, making you feel like you did at that time
Certain people, places and situations can trigger a flashback, so it is really beneficial to know your stressor and triggers to stop these from occurring. Sometimes they just happen out of the blue or when you're vulnerable, and it's sh** scary.
If you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD, you might also find that you have difficulty with some everyday aspects of your life, such as:
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looking after yourself
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holding down a job
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maintaining friendships or relationships
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remembering things and making decisions
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your sex drive
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coping with change
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simply enjoying your leisure time.
Complex PTSD
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition where you experience some symptoms of PTSD along with some additional symptoms, such as:
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Finding it hard controlling your emotions
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Feeling very hostile or distrustful towards the world
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Feelings of emptiness or hopelessness
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Feeling as if you are damaged or worthless
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Feeling as if you are completely different to other people (alienated)
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Feeling like nobody can understand what happened to you
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Avoiding friendships and relationships, or finding them very difficult
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Often experiencing dissociative symptoms such as depersonalisation or derealisation
How to Look After Yourself, when Struggling with PTSD
Living with PTSD is overwhelming.
Here are a few things that help me manage my PTSD.
1. Get to know your triggers - make a list of all the things that make you anxious or worried or have made you feel sad, down and low. (avoid triggers as much as possible)
5. Find specialist support - When dealing with trauma, you need to speak to a specialist so they can offer you any additional help and support, you do not have to do anything you do not want to do. But seeing a counsellor is NOT a bad thing, and it will not make you look weak.
6. Look after your physical health - How do you expect your mind to get better if you've given up on your physical health? Ensure you are feeding your body the right nutrients it needs and drinking plenty of water/fluids. Sleep! Make sure you are getting into a good sleep routine because our brains and body repairs itself when we are sleeping.