Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can start after a traumatic event. A traumatic event is an event where we can see that we are in danger, our life can be threatened, or where we see other people dying or being injured.
Some traumatic events can include:
§ Serious road accidents
§ Military combat
§ Violent personal assault (sexual assault, physical attack, abuse, robbery, mugging)
§ Being taken hostage
§ Terrorist attack
§ Being a prisoner of war
§ Natural or man-made disasters
§ Being diagnosed with a life threatening illness
§ Hearing of an unexpected death or violent injury of a family member or close friend
If someone has faced a traumatic experience they may feel emotionally numb to begin with and feelings of distress may not show straight away. The symptoms of PTSD can start after a delay of weeks, months or even years. But sooner or later they are likely to develop emotional and physical reactions and changes in behaviour.
There are three main types of symptoms produced by such an experience:
Flashbacks and nightmare's
§ They may find themselves experiencing vivid flashbacks (feeling as if the trauma is happening all over again), they see it in their mind but may also feel the emotions and physical sensations of what happened – fear, sweating, smells, sounds, pain.
§ Intrusive thoughts and images
§ Nightmares
§ Intense distress
Avoidance and Numbing
It can be very distressing and upsetting to re-live the experience over and over again. Therefore they may distract themselves, keeping their minds busy by losing themselves in a hobby, working very hard, or spending their time absorbed in crosswords or jigsaw puzzles etc. They may avoid situations, places and people that remind them of the trauma and try not to talk about it. They may try and deal with their feeling's by trying to feel nothing at all, becoming emotionally numb.
Being ‘on guard’
You may find that the person affected may find it hard to relax; they stay alert all the time, as if they are looking out for danger. They may feel anxious and find it hard to sleep, and other people may notice they are jumpy, irritable and can be aggressive.
Other symptoms can include:
§ Muscle aches and pains
§ Diarrhoea
§ Irregular heartbeats
§ Headaches
§ Feeling of panic and fear
§ Depression
§ Drinking too much alcohol or/and taking drugs
These responses are all quite normal; many people find their symptoms will disappear in due course. If symptoms last for longer than a month or if they are extreme then PTSD may be diagnosed.
There are a number of options available to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder sufferers; these can include clinics that focus on PTSD. There is also talking therapies such as counselling and behavioural therapy, your doctor should be able to give you more information in regard to what treatments are available.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can start after a traumatic event. A traumatic event is an event where we can see that we are in danger, our life can be threatened, or where we see other people dying or being injured. Some traumatic can include:
§ Serious road accidents
§ Military combat
§ Violent personal assault (sexual assault, physical attack, abuse, robbery, mugging)
§ Being taken hostage
§ Terrorist attack
§ Being a prisoner of war
§ Natural or man-made disasters
§ Being diagnosed with a life threatening illness
§ Hearing of an unexpected death or violent injury of a family member or close friend
If someone as faced a traumatic experience they may feel emotionally numb to begin with and feelings of distress may not show straight away. The symptoms of PTSD can start after a delay of weeks, months or even years. But sooner or later they are likely to develop emotional and physical reactions and changes in behaviour.
There are three main types of symptoms produced by such an experience:
Flashbacks and nightmare
§ They may find themselves experiencing vivid flashbacks (feeling as if the trauma is happening all over again), they see it in their mind but may also feel the emotions and physical sensations of what happened – fear, sweating, smells, sounds, pain.
§ Intrusive thoughts and images
§ Nightmares and intense distress
Avoidance and Numbing
It can be very distressing and upsetting to re-live the experience over and over again. Therefore they may distract themselves, keeping their minds busy by losing themselves in a hobby, working very hard, or spending their time absorbed in crosswords or jigsaw puzzles etc. They may avoid situations, places and people that remind them of the trauma and try not to talk about it. They may try and deal with their feeling by trying to feel nothing at all, becoming emotionally numb.
Being ‘on guard’
You may find that the person affected may find it hard to relax; they stay alert all the time, as if they are looking out for danger. They may feel anxious and find it hard to sleep, and other people may notice they are jumpy, irritable and can be aggressive.
Other symptoms can include:
§ Muscle aches and pains
§ Diarrhoea
§ Irregular heartbeats
§ Headaches
§ Feeling of panic and fear
§ Depression
§ Drinking too much alcohol or/and taking drugs
These responses are all quite normal; many people find their symptoms will disappear in due course. If symptoms last for longer than a month or if they are extreme then PTSD may be diagnosed.
There are a number of options available to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder sufferers; these can include clinics that focus on PTSD. There is also talking therapies such as counselling and behavioural therapy, your doctor should be able to give you more information in regard to what treatments are available.
For further details of useful websites to view in regard to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and to see which leaflets and books you can access at our Information Point within DAMH, you can click on the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) word document at the top right of this page or alternatively you can click on the contact us at the top of the page to send us a message or request an Information Pack on one of the subjects listed.
Please note:
The information contained within this information pack is for general information only and is not intended to replace or substitute the advice or recommendations given by a medical professional. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the reliability of the information provided, Dundee Association for Mental Health (DAMH) cannot recommend any of the services or resources included or accept any liability for the quality of service they provided.