Everyone hopes to not experience anything traumatic in their life but as we know no one is immune to bad things happening to them. Some people may through or witness some very horrific things and it may stay with them...in some cases to the point that it's debilitating to their everyday life.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the brain's normal reaction to abnormal events. Symptoms to PTSD can appear days, months, or even years after a traumatic event. Diagnostic criteria for PTSD include a history of exposure to a traumatic event meeting two criteria and symptoms from each of three symptom clusters: intrusive recollections, avoidant/numbing symptoms, and hyper-arousal symptoms. A fifth criterion concerns duration of symptoms and a sixth assesses functioning. The person's response to the traumatic event involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror. In children, it may be expressed instead by disorganized or agitated behavior.
A person with PTSD recollects the traumatic event through recollections, flashbacks, dreams, and/or internal and external triggers. They may also avoid the trauma by memory lapses, blackouts, avoiding things, places, and people associated with the trauma, detaching themselves from loved ones, or have a shortened sense of future. A person with PTSD are easily aroused, meaning that they easily startled, irritable, or have difficulty sleeping and/or concentrating. Symptoms like I just stated have to be present for a least one month for a possible PTSD diagnosis.
If you or someone you know are experiencing these symptoms, please seek help immediately. If you are someone is in crisis call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room!! There are medications and therapy available to treat PTSD. There are also a lot of support groups. As always, here are some links to help you.
http://www.abct.org/Members/?m=FindTherapist&fa=FT_Form&nolm=1
http://locator.apa.org/
http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_search.php
http://store.samhsa.gov/mhlocator
For Veterans
http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/ptsd_flsh.asp
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/get_help_with_va.asp
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans/
Call 1-800-273-8255 and press "1"
Support Groups
http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=ab-ptsd&lgnF=y
http://www.adaa.org/finding-help/getting-support/support-groups
Take care,
-Kimmy
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (Revised 4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the brain's normal reaction to abnormal events. Symptoms to PTSD can appear days, months, or even years after a traumatic event. Diagnostic criteria for PTSD include a history of exposure to a traumatic event meeting two criteria and symptoms from each of three symptom clusters: intrusive recollections, avoidant/numbing symptoms, and hyper-arousal symptoms. A fifth criterion concerns duration of symptoms and a sixth assesses functioning. The person's response to the traumatic event involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror. In children, it may be expressed instead by disorganized or agitated behavior.
A person with PTSD recollects the traumatic event through recollections, flashbacks, dreams, and/or internal and external triggers. They may also avoid the trauma by memory lapses, blackouts, avoiding things, places, and people associated with the trauma, detaching themselves from loved ones, or have a shortened sense of future. A person with PTSD are easily aroused, meaning that they easily startled, irritable, or have difficulty sleeping and/or concentrating. Symptoms like I just stated have to be present for a least one month for a possible PTSD diagnosis.
If you or someone you know are experiencing these symptoms, please seek help immediately. If you are someone is in crisis call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room!! There are medications and therapy available to treat PTSD. There are also a lot of support groups. As always, here are some links to help you.
http://www.abct.org/Members/?m=FindTherapist&fa=FT_Form&nolm=1
http://locator.apa.org/
http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_search.php
http://store.samhsa.gov/mhlocator
For Veterans
http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/ptsd_flsh.asp
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/get_help_with_va.asp
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans/
Call 1-800-273-8255 and press "1"
Support Groups
http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=ab-ptsd&lgnF=y
http://www.adaa.org/finding-help/getting-support/support-groups
Take care,
-Kimmy
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (Revised 4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
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