Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Overview

By Author: Brad Holley
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is caused by extremely traumatic event in the life of a person. Any event that causes a person to experience physical or emotional pain is a traumatic occurrence enough to lead him or her to post traumatic stress disorder. Other vital factors known to create traumatic stress imbalance are distress and extreme fear. Events like car accidents, robbery, the death of a loved one, natural disaster, witnessing an act of violence, being victim of physical harm are some examples of incidence that lead to post traumatic stress disorders in human beings.

The symptoms observed in the victim of post traumatic stress disorder are getting disassociated from reality and dwelling in a sense of numbness. Such individuals live in a constant state of fear with a totally different perception of the world than normal people. Recurring memories of the traumatic event keeps the victim in state of shock. This kind of reaction is known as post-traumatic stress disorder and can have detrimental consequences to the sufferer, in addition to those close to him or her.

How to Detect Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: ...
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Given below are some symptoms that can help you to detect whether your loved one or yourself is suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.

· PTSD affects each patient differently. Most of the patients suffer from a loss of appetite, fatigue, stomach problems, headache and excessive sweating. These victims get easily panicked, and in a state of constant fear of something. Feelings like hopelessness, anxiety, short-tempered attitude and feeling lost are common to them.

· There is no fixed time when the symptoms of PTSD may appear, it might be suddenly after the traumatic event or they may appear after many months or years after the disturbing event. Usually the victim constantly relives the event through thoughts and memories, additionally affecting his relationships with others, and further causing the self to become withdrawn from society

Quick Facts about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:

· 8 percent of Americans will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder during their lifetime.

· Of this 8 percent, 10 percent are female and 5 percent are male.

· 5.2 million People are currently suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

· Ethnic minorities, as well as women, are at an increased risk of suffering from post-traumatic stress.

Thus, while dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, it is imperative to give a patient sufficient time to get through feelings and recuperate from the event. Instead of hiding feelings of sadness and grief, it is crucial that a victim be allowed to experience these feelings deeply, as this is an important part of the healing process. Family and friends of a patient should also be supportive, provide a source of strength and understanding and try to gain the victim's confidence. Although such a condition can cause a great deal of pain and fear, it can be handled with proper understanding, patience and time.

If you detect PTSD symptoms in yourself or someone you love, it is important to get help from a trained mental health clinician as soon as possible. Aspen Counseling Services are established as a part of sincere effort and desire to help individuals and families to deal with and overcome life's challenges. They are passionate about helping people. Their team is experienced in a wide variety of treatment methods and specialties to help the patients with specific needs. For more information visit the website www.aspencounselingservices.com and take your first step toward getting the help your loved one may need.