Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you've seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death.
"This Jarring Photo Series Captures What PTSD Really Looks Like" (BuzzFeed News)
Causes and Risk Factors:
- PTSD can occur at any age
- Natural disasters such as a flood or fire
- Assault (sexual or non)
- Domestic abuse
- Prison stay
- Rape/abuse
- Accidents
- War/terrorism
Signs & Symptoms
Re-experiencing symptoms:
- May disrupt the individual's daily routine and be triggered by words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event
- Flashbacks - reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms, like a racing heart or sweating
- Bad dreams
- Frightening thoughts/memories
- Strong, uncomfortable reactions to situations that remind the individual of the event
Avoidance symptoms:
- Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Feeling strong guilt, depression, or worry
- Losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past
- Having trouble remembering the dangerous event
- Feeling like one has no future
Hyper-arousal symptoms:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Being easily startled
- Feeling tense or "on edge"
- Having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts
Other symptoms:
- Guilt/survivor guilt
- Agitation or excitability
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Feeling your heart beat in your chest
- Headache