Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a serious accident, natural disaster,  military combat, or a violent or life-threatening personal assault. People who suffer from PTSD can experience a wide range of emotions, thoughts, and fears related to their experience long after it has occurred. They may have intense anxiety, mood disturbances, vivid flashbacks, and nightmares that can persist for months and even years.

The unrelenting and severe stress caused by PTSD can manifest into a wide range of symptoms that make it difficult to engage in everyday activities, maintain healthy relationships, and lead a normal life. Fortunately, psychotherapy has been found to be a very effective treatment for PTSD and at Blair Wellness Clinic, clients will receive the compassionate and expert care they need to obtain freedom from this disorder.

Symptoms of PTSD

Each PTSD case is unique and symptoms can vary in type and severity. Not everyone who goes through a traumatic event will experience PTSD, and the ones who do may not experience any symptoms for weeks, months, or even years after the event. Some symptoms are similar to those who suffer from general anxiety, but with PTSD, there are usually additional ones such as nightmares and flashbacks that make coping especially difficult. 

In general, people who have been diagnosed with PTSD exhibit symptoms that can be grouped into four different categories. 

Intrusion

When thoughts and feelings manifest involuntarily in the form of flashbacks, distressing dreams, and terrifying memories, they are considered to be intrusive — because they can happen at any time or place, without provocation. These experiences can be so vivid that it can make someone feel and though they are re-living the event all over again.

Avoidance

For a person who has experienced a traumatic event, they will tend to avoid reminders that will trigger painful and distressing memories. This avoidance can include refusing to talk about what happened or steering clear of the people, places, activities, or objects that are associated with it.

Mood and Cognition

People who suffer from PTSD have negative or distorted thoughts about themselves and the world around them. They may wrongly blame themselves or others for what happened or they may develop a “trust no one” attitude. As a result, their feelings of ongoing fear, anger, and guilt can cause them to feel detached from family and friends, experience a lack of interest in things they once found joy in, and have an overall feeling of emotional numbness.   

Arousal and Reactivity

This category of symptoms can also be described as hyperarousal, or always feeling on edge. Because of their past experience, a person may always be on the lookout for danger and easily startled by loud noises. They may have angry outbursts, become overly suspicious of people and their surroundings, and as a result of these feelings may have trouble concentrating or sleeping.