What Are The Symptoms Of Post Traumatic Stress

Ptsd Symptoms In Children

In children especially very young children the symptoms of PTSD can differ from those of adults and may include:

• Fear of being separated from their parent.
• Losing previously-acquired skills .
• Sleep problems and nightmares.
• Somber, compulsive play in which themes or aspects of the trauma are repeated.
• New phobias and anxieties that seem unrelated to the trauma .
• Acting out the trauma through play, stories, or drawings.
• Aches and pains with no apparent cause.
• Irritability and aggression.

Do you have PTSD?

If you answer yes to three or more of the questions below, you may have PTSD and its worthwhile to visit a qualified mental health professional.

• Have you witnessed or experienced a traumatic, life- threatening event?
• Did this experience make you feel intensely afraid, horrified, or helpless?
• Do you have trouble getting the event out of your mind?
• Do you startle more easily and feel more irritable or angry than you did before the event?
• Do you go out of your way to avoid activities, people, or thoughts that remind you of the event?
• Do you have more trouble falling asleep or concentrating than you did before the event?
• Have your symptoms lasted for more than a month?
• Is your distress making it hard for you to work or function normally?

Work Through Survivors Guilt

Feelings of guilt are very common among veterans with PTSD. You may have seen people injured or killed, often your friends and comrades. In the heat of the moment, you dont have time to fully process these events as they happen. But lateroften when youve returned homethese experiences come back to haunt you. You may ask yourself questions such as:

• Why didnt I get hurt?
• Why did I survive when others didnt?
• Could I have done something differently to save them?

You may end up blaming yourself for what happened and believing that your actions led to someone elses death. You may feel like others deserved to live more than youthat youre the one who should have died.;This is survivors guilt.

Ptsd Symptoms And Behaviors

Common symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include reliving a traumatic event through nightmares, flashbacks, or constantly thinking about it. You might avoid situations or people that remind you of the event, have only negative thoughts or emotions, and constantly feel jittery, nervous, or on edge. Although some of these symptoms sound similar to PTS, the difference is the duration and intensity. Symptoms that continue for more than one month, are severe, and interfere with your daily functioning are characteristic of PTSD.

Behaviors that indicate professional intervention is needed may include drinking or smoking more than usual as attempts to reduce anxiety or anger, and aggressive driving. Service members who have experienced combat can be especially nervous driving under overpasses and past litter on the roadside behavior learned in Iraq and Afghanistan where insurgents hide improvised explosive devices in garbage and use overpasses to shoot at vehicles. Other behaviors that indicate that help may be needed can include being wary of crowds, showing reluctance to go to movie theaters, crowded stores, or nightclubs, and avoiding news that addresses overseas combat or getting angry at the reports.

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When To Seek Help For Ptsd

A person who has experienced a traumatic event should seek professional help if they:

• dont feel any better after two weeks

• feel highly anxious or distressed

• have reactions to the traumatic event that are interfering with home, work and/or relationships

• are thinking of harming themselves or someone else.

Some of the signs that a problem may be developing are:

• being constantly on edge or irritable

• having difficulty performing tasks at home or at work

• being unable to respond emotionally to others

• being unusually busy to avoid issues

• using alcohol, drugs or gambling to cope

• having severe sleeping difficulties.

Cognition And Mood Symptoms

• Trouble remembering key features of the traumatic event
• Negative thoughts about oneself or the world
• Distorted thoughts about the event that cause feelings of blame
• Ongoing negative emotions, such as fear, anger, guilt, or shame
• Loss of interest in previous activities
• Feelings of social isolation
• Difficulty feeling positive emotions, such as happiness or satisfaction

Cognition and mood symptoms can begin or worsen after the traumatic event and can lead a person to feel detached from friends or family members.

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When To Get Help For Ptsd

If youre experiencing symptoms of PTSD, understand that youre not alone. According to the National Center for PTSD, 8 million adults have PTSD in any given year.

If you have frequent upsetting thoughts, are unable to control your actions, or fear that you might hurt yourself or others, seek help right away.

See your healthcare provider or a mental health professional immediately.

Understanding Ptsd In Veterans

Are you having a hard time readjusting to life out of the military? Are you always on edge, always on the verge of panicking or exploding, or, on the flip side, do you feel emotionally numb and disconnected from your loved ones? Do you believe that youll never feel normal again?

For all too many veterans, these are common experienceslingering symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder . Its hard living with untreated PTSD and, with long V.A. wait times, its easy to get discouraged. But you can feel better, and you can start today, even while youre waiting for professional treatment. There are many things you can do to help yourself overcome PTSD and come out the other side even stronger than before.

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There Is A Silver Lining To These Cloudy Symptoms

While complex post-traumatic stress disorder is curable per se, it is highly treatable. With the right care from a qualified therapist, CPTSD need not be a life-long, incapacitating disorder. There is a multitude of treatments available and once one has admitted they have a mental health condition and recognize its causes, healing can and will begin.

It is also important to remember that you are not alone. It is believed that 7-8% of Americans experience CPTSD. There are approximately 327 million people in the United States so that means approximately 23-26 million people experience the symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, please, seek out the help of a qualified mental health professional. The moment you pick up the phone to make your first appointment your healing journey will begin. It may be a long, dark, and difficult road but along the journey you will find not only the end of the symptoms that plague you but yourself as well.

When youre telling a story, the best stories, every character has an arc. Every single one. And that arc is usually about finding yourself or about at least finding something about yourself that you didnt know. ~ Roy Conli

Reference

Signs And Symptoms Of Ptsd

PTSD develops differently from person to person because everyones nervous system and tolerance for stress is a little different. While youre most likely to develop symptoms of PTSD in the hours or days following a traumatic event, it can sometimes take weeks, months, or even years before they appear. Sometimes symptoms appear seemingly out of the blue. At other times, they are triggered by something that reminds you of the original traumatic event, such as a noise, an image, certain words, or a smell.

While everyone experiences PTSD differently, there are four main types of symptoms.

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Avoidance And Emotional Numbing

Trying to avoid being;reminded of the traumatic event;is another;key symptom of PTSD.

This usually;means avoiding certain people or places that remind you of the trauma, or avoiding talking to anyone about your experience.

Many people with;PTSD try to push memories of the event out of their mind, often distracting themselves with work or hobbies.

Some people attempt to deal with their feelings by trying not to feel anything at all. This is known as emotional numbing.

This can lead to the person becoming isolated and withdrawn, and they may also give up pursuing activities they used to enjoy.

What Is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Children

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a mental health problem. It can affect people of all ages. A child with PTSD keeps having scary thoughts and memories of a past event. He or she finds the event terrifying, either physically or emotionally.

The symptoms of PTSD may start soon after a stressful event. Or they may not happen for 6 months or longer. Some children with PTSD have long-term effects. They may feel emotionally numb for a very long time. PTSD in children often becomes a long-term problem.

PTSD may be accompanied by:

• Depression

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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post traumatic stress disorder is severe anxiety after psychological trauma, this is a mental disorder that belongs to the group of disorders related to trauma and stress factors.

It is characterized by the appearance of specific symptoms after exposure to a stressful, extremely traumatic event, which involves physical harm or is of an extraordinarily threatening or catastrophic nature for the individual.

This fear is accompanied by a strong physical reaction due to the secretion of adrenaline, the hormone that enables the body to react quickly to danger. Fear and the physical reaction that accompanies it are part of a natural defense mechanism designed to ensure survival. These reactions are therefore normal and usually go away a few hours after the event.

However, in people with post-traumatic stress disorder, these reactions do not go away completely. The person continues to relive them with the same intensity as the first time, in the form of dreams or flashbacks. Flashbacks are mental images that bring the traumatic situation to life for the person. The person may also relive these reactions when exposed to a situation similar to the one that caused the trauma.

The affected person can then try to avoid situations or conditions that remind them of the trauma. The need to avoid any threatening situation can have serious consequences on personal, family and social activities.-

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME IN CHILDREN

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS?

Emotional And Psychological Trauma

If youve experienced an extremely stressful eventor series of eventsthats left you feeling helpless and emotionally out of control, you may have been traumatized. Psychological trauma often has its roots in childhood, but any event that shatters your sense of safety can leave you feeling traumatized, whether its an accident, injury, the sudden death of a loved one, bullying, domestic abuse, or a deeply humiliating experience. Whether the trauma happened years ago or yesterday, you can get over the pain, feel safe again, and move on with your life.

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The Severity Of These Six Symptoms

Reading the symptoms above it is easy to see how someone might say that they can be alleviated easily through self-talk or self-awareness. However, conquering such symptoms is much harder than it may seem.

Having flashbacks, reliving the trauma, and avoiding situations that may cause either or both of them is disabling. People who do all three, as they go together, have a challenging time holding down a steady job, dealing with others, or socializing with others.

Hyperarousal and the dizziness with nausea that often accompany it hold survivors back from being able to relax as they live in fear all the time. It is because of these symptoms that survivors may feel the world is too dangerous and that they must hide by isolating, dissociating, or avoidance behavior.

Take Care Of Your Body

The symptoms of PTSD, such as insomnia, anger, concentration problems, and jumpiness, can be hard on your body and eventually take a toll on your overall health. Thats why its so important to take care of yourself.

You may be drawn to activities and behaviors that pump up adrenaline, whether its caffeine, drugs, violent video games, driving recklessly, or daredevil sports. After being in a combat zone, thats what feels normal. But if you recognize these urges for what they are, you can make better choices that will calm and protect your bodyand your mind.

Take time to relax.Relaxation techniques such as massage, meditation, or yoga can reduce stress, ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression, help you sleep better, and increase feelings of peace and well-being.

Find safe ways to blow off steam. Pound on a punching bag, pummel a pillow, go for a hard run, sing along to loud music, or find a secluded place to scream at the top of your lungs.

Support your body with a healthy diet. Omega-3s play a vital role in emotional health so incorporate foods such as fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts into your diet. Limit processed and fried food, sugars, and refined carbs which can exacerbate mood swings and energy fluctuations.

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Recovering From Survivors Guilt

Healing doesnt mean that youll forget what happened or those who died. And it doesnt mean youll have no regrets. What it does mean is that youll view your role more realistically.

• Is the amount of responsibility youre assuming reasonable?
• Could you really have prevented or stopped what happened?
• Are you judging your decisions based on complete information about the event, or just your emotions?
• Did you do your best at the time, under challenging circumstances?
• Do you truly believe that if you had died, someone else would have survived?

Honestly assessing your responsibility and role can free you to move on and grieve your losses. Even if you continue to feel some guilt, instead of punishing yourself, you can redirect your energy into honoring those you lost and finding ways to keep their memory alive. For example, you could volunteer for a cause thats connected in some way to one of the friends you lost. The goal is to put your guilt to positive use and thus transform a tragedy, even in a small way, into something worthwhile.

What Are The Differences Between Pts And Ptsd

Its easy to confuse post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder . In addition to sharing similar names, theres considerable overlap in symptoms between the two conditions. Both PTS and PTSD are associated with feeling fearful and/or nervous, avoiding the activity or place associated with the traumatic event, and nightmares. However, there are significant differences in symptom intensity, duration, and treatment.

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Ptsd In Military Veterans

For all too many veterans, returning from military service means coping with symptoms of PTSD. You may have a hard time readjusting to life out of the military. Or you may constantly feel on edge, emotionally numb and disconnected, or close to panicking or exploding. But its important to know that youre not alone and there are plenty of ways you can deal with nightmares and flashbacks, cope with feelings of depression, anxiety or guilt, and regain your sense of control.

What You Can Do Right Now

If you have experienced a terrifying traumatic event and now suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result, treatment does exist, and following it can help you to rebuild your life. To get the most of your treatment plans, follow these pieces of advice:

• Learn all you can about your disorder and what effects it has on your body this allows you to recognize signs and symptoms and coping strategies
• Follow the treatment plans prescribed to you by your doctors and mental health providers even if you are feeling fine
• Dont turn to drugs and alcohol to numb your feelings
• Stay healthy eat well-balanced meals and exercise on a regular basis
• Find support groups that can help you through difficult times and to have a support base that you can talk to about anything

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What Are The Symptoms Of Ptsd In A Child

Children and teens with PTSD feel a lot of emotional and physical distress when exposed to situations that remind them of the traumatic event. Some may relive the trauma over and over again. They may have nightmares and disturbing memories during the day. They may also:

• Have problems sleeping

• Feel depressed or grouchy

• Feel nervous, jittery, or alert and watchful

• Lose interest in things they used to enjoy. They may seem detached or numb and are not responsive.

• Have trouble feeling affectionate

• Be more aggressive than before, even violent

• Stay away from certain places or situations that bring back memories

• Have flashbacks. These can be images, sounds, smells, or feelings. The child may believe the event is happening again.

• Lose touch with reality

• Reenact an event for seconds or hours or, in rare cases, days

• Have problems in school

• Worry about dying at a young age

• Act younger than their age, such as thumb-sucking or bedwetting

• Have physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches

Cognition And Mood Symptoms Include:

• Trouble remembering key features of the traumatic event
• Negative thoughts about oneself or the world
• Distorted feelings like guilt or blame
• Loss of interest in enjoyable activities

Cognition and mood symptoms can begin or worsen after the traumatic event, but are not due to injury or substance use. These symptoms can make the person feel alienated or detached from friends or family members.

It is natural to have some of these symptoms for a few weeks after a dangerous event. When the symptoms last more than a month, seriously affect ones ability to function, and are not due to substance use, medical illness, or anything except the event itself, they might be PTSD. Some people with PTSD dont show any symptoms for weeks or months. PTSD is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or one or more of the other anxiety disorders.

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