What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.)?

P.T.S.D is the disorder most commonly known for its effect on soldiers. P.T.S.D. is an anxiety disorder that can occur after trauma. The trauma is an experience outside of what is expected in normal life experience. It involves the fear of death or serious injury of yourself or others.

P.T.S.D. symptoms can develop in some people and not others that experience the same trauma.
Emotional Symptoms include one or more of the following:

• Recurrent distressing recollections of the event including images, thoughts or perceptions
• Recurrent distressing dreams of the event
• Acting or feeling as if the event is still happening
• Intense distress as a result of cues that trigger any part of the event
• Avoidance of thoughts, feeling or cues related to the event
• Avoidance of people, activities or anything that can remind you of the event
• Inability to recall certain important aspects of the trauma
• Loss of interest in significant activities
• Restricted range of feelings
• A sense that something bad will happen to themselves or loved ones

Physical symptoms that occur after the trauma that did not exist prior to the event include one or more of the following:

• Sleep difficulty
• Irritability or anger
• Trouble concentrating
• Hyper-vigilance (constantly watching and alert to danger)
• Exaggerated startle response

Helping Yourself: Strategies for Adults or Children That Help P.T.S.D.

• Maintaining a regular routine of eating, sleeping and working
• Taking extra time for daily tasks
• Acquiring the training, tools or materials that would make things easier in a future emergency
• Getting quiet recreational time in nature
• Paying attention to physical pain that may indicate emotional pain
• Writing or drawing the event and allowing yourself to experience your emotions
• Being careful not to let the event take over by reading or following endless news reports or information about the trauma
• Learning relaxation techniques
• Accepting that it takes each individual time to recover from the trauma
• Joining a support group