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What Is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
A Place of Hope for Those Suffering from PTSD
PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder, can affect anyone who has experienced or witnessed one or more psychologically traumatic episodes that posed a threat of death or serious harm to themselves or to other people. Considered a type of anxiety disorder, PTSD can be understood as the mind’s response to overwhelming events such as war, physical abuse or assault, sexual assault, natural disasters, serious accidents and even life-threatening illness.When asked “What is post traumatic stress disorder?” many people naturally think of problems suffered by some soldiers who have been exposed to combat and the other horrors of war. While PTSD disorder among military veterans understandably receives much of the public’s attention, any person of any age who has been exposed to severe psychological trauma may experience the same symptoms as combat survivors, such as:
- Reliving traumatic events through nightmares, flashbacks or intrusive memories
- Being seriously disturbed or upset by events that trigger recall of the original trauma
- Avoiding people, places and things that may serve as reminders of the traumatic situation
- Feeling emotionally numb and detached from life
- Having trouble concentrating
- Having difficulty sleeping
- Being easily startled and having an excessively strong or violent startle reaction
- Problems with sexual functioning
- Physical symptoms such as dizziness, headaches or a pounding heart
- Feelings of guilt for having survived a situation that cost others their lives or their health
- Feeling that a “normal” future is not possible – or that there is no future at all
Any or all of these symptoms could show up long after the psychological trauma that caused them. If you have lived through a traumatic event and have suffered some or all of these symptoms for a month or more, you could be suffering from PTSD.
Post traumatic stress disorder treatment from caring and knowledgeable professionals can ease the symptoms of PTSD and help you get your life back. Many counselors treat PTSD with specific techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but at The Center for Counseling and Health Resources, we use a comprehensive, “whole-person” approach that supports the psychological, spiritual, emotional, social, physical and nutritional needs of PTSD sufferers. The Center, a place of hope, also offers assistance for other challenges that often accompany PTSD by providing depression treatment, anxiety treatment and addiction recovery programs individualized for the needs of each client.
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