PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is a natural response to traumatic experiences. When our survival is threatened in some way, either physically or psychologically, in order for us to get out of that threatening situation, we need to put our emotional reactions on hold, otherwise we can’t remove ourselves from those threats. Think of someone who would rather sweep the dirt under the rug because it’s quicker than removing the dirt. He can do this for awhile, but eventually that mound of dirt under the rug causes people to trip on it and fall. At that time, the rug needs to be removed as well as that pile of dirt under it.

This is why a traumatized person does not experience symptoms of PTSD right away. Symptoms can occur months or even years later. There are two types of PTSD: Simple and Complex. In Simple PTSD, the cause is usually known (combat, physical or emotional abuse, rape, medical trauma, motor vehicle accidents, etc.). In Complex PTSD, the trauma accumulates over a period of years (a child or person repeatedly being threatened, neglected or intimidated). Complex PTSD takes longer to treat, but both types are very intrusive and interfere with normal functioning.

Symptoms common to PTSD are flashbacks of the traumatic event/s, emotional numbing, anxiety, sleep difficulties, substance abuse, depression, sense of foreshortened future, survivor guilt, social isolation, decreased sense of enjoyment and anger.