Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
The syndrome called PTSD can occur when a person has experienced,
witnessed or been confronted by an event that would be very
distressing to almost anyone. Such events would include
serious threat or harm to one’s own life or that of
another person as a result of, for example, an accident,
physical or sexual assault, disaster or warfare.
The person’s immediate responses usually involve intense
fear, helplessness, horror and terror.
Sufferers of PTSD experience very distressing symptoms
and some can be severely handicapping. These symptoms can
include vivid unwanted mental pictures and thoughts of the
trauma, which may happen without warning when the person
is awake. The sufferer may feel at times that they are re-living
the event, in the form of flashbacks. Some people find that
they ‘separate’ from themselves during a traumatic
incident, and find that they feel as if they are outside
of their body watching what is happening to them.
In order to relieve some of their distress some sufferers
of PTSD avoid situations that remind them of their trauma
such as objects, television programmes, places or people
For example, people that were involved in a train crash
may avoid travelling by train, people that were mugged may
avoid the places that remind them of where they were attacked.
For many, one of the most distressing symptoms is sleep
disturbance. This may take the form of difficulty in getting
to sleep, and/or being unable to stay asleep, waking frequently
throughout the night. Distressing dreams and nightmares
may also occur. Lack of sleep and preoccupation with the
trauma can also severely affect concentration and memory.
Some people find that they startle easily and are very
‘jumpy’, and that they react irritably to small
provocation. Others find that they are very aware of needing
to know exactly who and what is around them, and that they
are constantly monitoring their surroundings. It is almost
as if they expect danger around every corner. Physical symptoms.
for example, palpitations, sweating, nausea, diarrhoea,
panic attacks, difficulty breathing, and muscular tension
are not uncommon
Other Associated Difficulties:
Trauma victims are also likely to become more angry and
irritable than they used to be. In an attempt to reduce
their anxiety they may start to abuse alcohol or other drugs,
which in turn can exacerbate both feelings of anger and
depression.
Frequently people suffer from feelings of guilt, which
can arise from surviving a disaster in which other people
have died, or from feeling that in some way they were responsible
for the traumatic incident. Sufferers sometimes want to
talk about the event to everyone that they see, some do
not want to talk about it at all. Some feel that there is
nothing wrong with them and find it very difficult to accept
that there is anything amiss. It is important to note that
we all react differently to trauma.
A particularly disabling but relatively common longer term
response to severe trauma is depression. This is a low state
of mind with feelings of sadness, tiredness, and sometimes
despair. The sufferer may find that their appetite changes
and their weight may change, they may also find that they
are unable to sleep properly. In very severe cases thoughts
of self harm or suicide may occur.
Although the anxiety symptoms are the ones which often
receive most attention, other responses can be more disabling
and longer lasting.
WHEN SHOULD HELP BE SOUGHT?
Most people find that within a few months their symptoms
have reduced and that they feel a lot better and do not
need to find help. But others find that their symptoms do
not resolve and that they do need help to get back to how
they were before the traumatic event.
Information Courtesy of:
ASSIST
Assist is an organisation dedicated to offering support,
understanding and friendship to individuals and families
affected by Trauma.
The Penthouse
11 Bank Street
Rugby
Warwickshire
CV21 2QE
Tel : 01788 551919
Helpline : 01788 560800
Email : assist@traumatic-stress.freeserve.co.uk
