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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that arises after experiencing a dangerous or terrifying event. During such an event, your body will react with a 'fight or flight' response to cope. However, with PTSD, this 'fight or flight' reaction persists long after the traumatic event has passed. The individual continues to feel the lingering effects of the danger for an extended period. Below are the common symptoms to help you assess if you or a loved one may be suffering from PTSD.
Steps
Assessing the Risk of PTSD
Understanding PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health condition that occurs after experiencing a terrifying or life-threatening event. It is normal to feel a range of negative emotions like confusion, sadness, magnifying problems, hopelessness, depression, etc. after such an event. These emotional reactions are common to everyone who goes through a traumatic experience. However, with PTSD, these emotions become more intense rather than dissipating over time.
- PTSD typically develops when the event you experienced is extremely frightening and life-threatening. The longer you are exposed to distress, the higher your chances of developing PTSD.
Don't dismiss PTSD symptoms just because you've never served in the military. PTSD is often thought to be exclusive to veterans, and as a result, people who have never been in combat may fail to recognize the symptoms in themselves. If you’ve recently experienced a painful, terrifying, or horrifying event, you could be suffering from PTSD. Moreover, PTSD is not limited to those who have been directly threatened with their lives. Sometimes, simply witnessing a traumatic event or dealing with its aftermath can lead to PTSD.
- Events that trigger PTSD include: sexual assault, being threatened with weapons, natural disasters, the sudden death of a loved one, car or airplane accidents, torture, riots, or witnessing a murder.
- It’s important to note that most people who develop PTSD do so because of actions taken by others, rather than natural disasters.
Determine how long it has been since you experienced that traumatic event. As mentioned earlier, it is normal to feel negative emotions after a distressing event. In the first few weeks, this is referred to as acute stress disorder. However, after about a month, these negative emotions should fade. You should be concerned about PTSD if these emotions worsen after several months.
Be aware of the risk factors that make you more susceptible to PTSD. An interesting aspect of PTSD is that two people can experience the same traumatic event, but only one might develop the disorder. There are several factors that increase the likelihood of developing PTSD after experiencing a distressing event. Keep in mind that not everyone exposed to these factors will develop PTSD. These factors include:
- A family history of mental illness. If you have relatives with anxiety disorders or depression, your risk of PTSD is higher.
- Your response to stress. While stress is normal, some individuals produce higher levels of chemicals and hormones that cause a negative reaction to stress.
- Past experiences. If you’ve previously endured abuse or neglect, a recent traumatic event may worsen the fears you’ve carried, leading to PTSD.
Recognizing the Symptoms of PTSD
Recognizing feelings of avoidance. After a painful experience, it’s common to feel the urge to avoid anything that reminds you of the event. However, facing these memories is the healthiest way to process grief. If you have PTSD, you may find yourself avoiding anything that brings the traumatic event to mind. Avoidance symptoms include:
- Refusing to think about the event.
- Isolating yourself from people, places, or objects that remind you of the event.
- Avoiding talking about the event.
- Distracting yourself obsessively with other activities instead of confronting what you’ve experienced.
Pay attention to intrusive memories. Intrusive memories are uncontrollable recollections that suddenly appear in your mind without any effort on your part. You may feel helpless, unable to stop them. These types of intrusive memories include:
- Vivid recollections of the event.
- Nightmares focused on what happened.
- A 'movie reel' of images from the event that you can't make stop.
Be mindful if you find yourself denying the event that happened. Some individuals with PTSD respond to the painful event by denying it. They may act as if everything is normal, pretending the tragedy never occurred. This is the body's form of shock; the mind isolates the memories and information about the incident to protect you from pain.
- For instance, a mother may deny that her son has passed away. She might continue speaking to him as if he were merely sleeping, rather than acknowledging that he has died.
Observe any changes in the way you think. Over time, people can change their perspectives. However, with PTSD, you may suddenly start thinking about everything – including people, places, and things – in ways that never occurred to you before the traumatic event. These changes in thought include:
- Negative thoughts about everyone, places, situations, and yourself.
- Indifference or pessimism when thinking about the future.
- Inability to experience happiness or satisfaction, feeling numb.
- Difficulty or inability to communicate and maintain relationships with others.
- Memory issues, from forgetting minor details to losing significant chunks of memory related to the incident.
Recognize any emotional or physical changes following the traumatic event. Just like changes in thought, notable emotional and physical shifts are things you might not have experienced before the event. Remember that these changes can occur occasionally, but you should be particularly attentive if they persist. These changes may include:
- Insomnia (the inability to sleep).
- Lack of appetite.
- Increased irritability, anger, or aggressive behavior.
- Losing interest in things you once enjoyed.
- Feeling overwhelmed by guilt or extreme shame.
- Engaging in self-destructive behaviors, such as reckless driving, substance abuse, or making careless, dangerous decisions.
Be alert to any heightened state of alertness. After a terrifying or horrific event, you may find yourself constantly anxious or on edge. Things that never scared you before may now cause panic. A traumatic incident can put your body in a constant state of heightened vigilance, even though the threat is no longer present, but you may feel it’s necessary due to what you’ve experienced.
- For example, if you were close to a bomb explosion, you might jump or panic when someone drops a set of keys or slams a door.
Consult a mental health professional with experience in treating trauma-related disorders. A psychologist or therapist can help determine whether what you're going through is a normal response or PTSD. They will guide you in finding the most appropriate treatment for your condition. PTSD treatments include:
- Traditional talk therapy has proven effective in treating PTSD symptoms and assisting patients in addressing issues related to PTSD in family, personal, or work life.
- Psychotherapy can take the form of exposure therapy, where you will discuss the event and visit places or interact with people you've been avoiding. It may also involve stress management training, which helps you learn how to cope with stress in a healthier way.
- A psychiatrist may prescribe medication to help alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or sleep disorders.
Recognize the psychological states linked to PTSD.
Watch for signs of depression.. Overcoming a traumatic experience can lead to depression. If you think you have PTSD, you may also be dealing with depression. Pay attention to symptoms like:
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Feelings of guilt, helplessness, or worthlessness.
- Low energy and lack of interest in activities you used to enjoy.
- A persistent sad feeling, along with a sense of emptiness.
Be aware of any feelings of anxiety.. After a distressing or horrifying experience, you might experience anxiety. This goes beyond the typical stress or worry that people usually feel. Signs of anxiety disorders include:
- Constant worrying or obsessing over all types of issues, big or small.
- A sense of unease or restlessness.
- Feeling easily irritated or tense.
- Difficulty sleeping and shortness of breath.
Pay attention to any compulsive behaviors (OCD) that may intensify.. Typically, when something disrupts your life, you try to regain control and normalcy. However, some people overreact by attempting to control their environment excessively. OCD can manifest in many ways, but if you think you may have OCD, look out for symptoms like:
- Frequent handwashing. You panic when you think your skin is dirty or that you're infected with something.
- Constantly checking to ensure everything is in order. For example, checking multiple times to make sure the oven is off or the door is locked.
- An overwhelming obsession with order. You may find yourself constantly counting and organizing everything to ensure it is balanced and harmonious.
- Refusing to throw things away because you fear something bad will happen if you do.
Talk to someone if you’re experiencing hallucinations. Hallucinations involve sensing something through one of your five senses, but these perceptions do not reflect reality. This means you might hear voices that aren’t real, see things that aren’t there, smell non-existent scents, or feel sensations like something touching you, when in fact nothing is. A person experiencing hallucinations may struggle to differentiate between reality and illusion.
- A way to determine if you’re hallucinating is by asking others if they’re having similar experiences.
- Note that hallucinations might signal an undiagnosed mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, in addition to PTSD. Research has identified overlaps between these two conditions. It’s important to seek help as soon as you begin seeing or hearing things that feel unreal.
Seek professional help if you think you’re suffering from amnesia. After a traumatic event, your body may instinctively block out the memory to protect you from emotional pain. You can unintentionally cause yourself to forget by repressing the event or denying that it ever happened. If you suddenly feel confused about the details of your life or lose track of time, it’s advisable to consult with a therapist or a trusted person to help you process this.
Advice
- Talk to someone you trust about the traumatic event you’ve just endured. Sharing your experience can help release the painful or negative emotions tied to it.
Warning
- If you suspect that you may have PTSD, seek a doctor immediately.
