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PTSD is an anxiety disorder. Symptoms follow exposure
to an extremely traumatic event. Symptoms include fear, helplessness,
and horror. Examples of traumatic events would be:
- One in which the person or others were threatened
with death or serious injury
- The witnessing of death or injury to another
person
- Learning about death or violence to a family
member
- The sudden destruction of one's home or community
- Being kidnapped, assaulted, tortured
- Severe automobile accident
- Being diagnosed with a life threatening illness
Signs of PTSD include:
- Persistent re-experienceing of the traumatic
event by:
-recurrent, flashbacks or dreams
-behavior as if the event were recurring
-intense distress to events that remind one of the trauma
- Persistent avoidance or emotionally numb as
seen by:
-efforts to avoid feelings associated with the trauma
-efforts to avoid activities that arouse memories of the trauma
-feeling of detachment from others
-inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma
-impaired ability to feel emotions associated with loving and
intimacy
- Persistent symtoms of arousal:
-difficulty falling or staying asleep
-feeling irritable, outbursts of anger
-difficulty concentrating
-feeling keyed up or on edge
-too easily startled
This disorder can occur at any age including childhood.
Though the signs usually begin within the first three months after
the trauma, there can be delay of months or years before signs appear.
To qualify for the diagnosis of PTSD, a number of these signs must
be present for more than one month and must cause distress or
increased problems in one's ability to function at work, home, school
or socially.
If you or someone you know appears to suffer from PTSD, call for
help.
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