Trauma Support (PTSD Awareness)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Awareness)
Everyone at some point in their lives have experienced hardships. These moments can be stressful and affect people emotionally and physically. Usually people are able to feel better after a few weeks or months, but there are people who carry on with those difficulties. My brother was one of those people and he inspired me to do this topic.
Hello everyone, Im Dys and Im raising awareness regarding a common disorder. The topic is revolving around a disorder called Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I hope that many of you will be informed very well with this topic.
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that can develop when someone has faced or witnessed a terrifying event. This can be really traumatic for the person which can be hard for them to recover after. People with PTSD may continue to feel really stressed and frightened and can affect their daily lives.
What are the symptoms?
There four main symptoms of PTSD:
☉Re-experiencing- which can be bad thoughts and nightmares, or even flashbacks can make people feel like theyre reliving that terrible moment.
☉Avoidance- you avoid thinking about the event. Even people, places, activities, or certain objects can be constant reminders that people with PTSD tend to avoid. They also resist talking about the event or their feelings relating to it.
☉Negative thoughts and feelings- you may have negative thoughts about yourself and/or other people in the world. This may continue to cause feelings of ongoing fear, guilt, shame, and anger. They may even feel like theyre grown apart from others.
☉Arousal and reactivity- meaning you always feel like youre on guard and being alert. Because they feel like youre on the edge, it can cause them to be irritable and have angry outbursts. Their physical and emotional feelings change which makes it difficult for them to concentrate and relax. This can even cause people to be easily startled and have difficulties sleeping.
Any person at any age can develop PTSD. Young children and adolescents can also have PTSD and it can be different from the symptoms of adults. PTSD can affect many different age groups which can have very different symptoms. Which is really horrible and just as important. Its actually much more common than you think.
Examples of symptoms in children (can fall in either categories):
☉Poor work in school
☉Clingy to their parents (separation may cause feelings of being anxious)
☉Tendencies to get involved in fights
☉Feeling guilty of things that might not even be their fault
Examples of symptoms in teens (can fall in either categories):
☉Self destructive and disrespectful behavior
☉Expressing ideas of revenge
☉Substance abuse
What are the causes?
Like I mentioned, people who experienced or witnessed a life-threatening traumatic event can develop PTSD. Some examples of events that can lead to PTSD may include:
☉Serious road accidents
☉Natural disasters (such as earthquakes and floods)
☉Personal Assaults (such as robberies and sexual assault)
☉Witnessing or experiencing physical assault
☉An unexpected injury of someone close
☉Unexpected loss of a loved one
Basically any event that you may fear in life can develop into PTSD. Even secondary trauma can cause PTSD.
Risk Factors
Risk factors meaning that it can increase the chances of you having this disorder. Some factors that can increase the risk of developing PTSD may include:
☉Repeated trauma- prior trauma or abuse during childhood and feeling like youre continually reliving that can increase risk.
☉Mental Health History- family history of PTSD or related disorders such as depression and anxiety can increase the risk.
☉Stress After Trauma- ongoing stress after an event such as losing a job or a loss of a loved one.
☉Lack of Social Support- people who dont have supportive relationships are much higher at risks.
How can I help someone with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder?
Here are some tips on helping someone with PTSD:
☉Understanding PTSD- Good job! From reading this, I hope a lot of you have an insight on this topic. Being able to understand this topic can help provide support and recognize their symptoms.
☉Providing Social Support- being by their side can be a really big help. Be understanding of their thoughts and give them space when needed.
☉Being A Good Listener- When the person chooses to confide with you, listen without any judgement and feelings of disapproval. The last thing they need is unsolicited advice. The key is to be patient and understand it takes time for them to heal. They really want to be able to feel like their feelings have been accepted.
☉Keep Calm- people with PTSD tend to have emotional outbursts and its really important for you remain calm and patient for them.
☉Encouraging Professional Treatment- professional help is a really important step in recovery! Remind the person the benefits of therapy.
PTSD is really not the only disorder that is caused by trauma. Its just one of the many disorders out there and it happens to be common. I have many relatives of my own who struggled with PTSD. I hope a lot of you can relate to and acknowledge this topic as well.
✭ Helpful Links ✭
Thank-you for posting this very valuable information.
Listening .... One Step At A Time
