Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

    If you have gone through a traumatic experience and are having trouble getting back to life
as usual and reconnecting with others, you are probably suffering from PTSD and
feel like you'll never be normal again. PTSD develops following an event that threatens
your safety or makes you feel helpless (or someone you love). It can affect those who
personally experience the trauma, those who witness it, such as emergency workers and
law enforcement officers, and also can affect friends or family members of those who
have been traumatized. Traumatic events can include war, rape, natural disasters, car or
plane crashes, sexual or physical abuse, and medical procedures (especially in children).

    It is a response to an abnormal situation that seems overwhelming, frightening, and out of
control. The sense of safety and trust are shattered, and one feels crazy, disconnected or
numb. The mind and body are in shock. Your memory of what happened and your
feelings are disconnected. In order to process the event, one must face the event and feel
the memories and emotions.

            Symptoms:

Re-experiencing the traumatic event

•       Intrusive, upsetting memories of the event
•       Flashbacks (acting or feeling like the event is happening again)
•       Nightmares (either of the event or other frightening things)
•       Feelings of intense distress when reminded of the trauma
•       Intense physical reactions to reminders of the event (pounding heart, rapid
        breathing, nausea, muscle tension, sweating)
  

PTSD symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing

•       Avoiding activities, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind you of the trauma
•       Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma
•       Loss of interest in activities and life in general
•       Feeling detached from others and emotionally numb
•       Sense of a limited future (don't expect to live a normal life span, get married, have a career)
  

PTSD symptoms of increased arousal

•       Difficulty falling or staying asleep
•       Difficulty concentrating
•       Hyper-vigilance (or constant ﾒred alertﾓ)
•       Feeling jumpy and easily startled
  

Other common symptoms of PTSD:

•       Anger and irritability
•       Guilt, shame, or self-blame
•       Substance abuse
•       Depression and hopelessness
•       Suicidal thoughts and feelings
•       Feeling alienated or alone
•       Feelings of mistrust and betrayal
•       Headaches, stomach problems, chest pain
  

Help for PTSD

Many treatment options are used for PTSD, including:

•  
  •       Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, in which one is gradually exposed
          to thoughts, feelings, and situations that remind the individual of the trauma
          and identifying irrational thoughts, fears, beliefs, and replacing them with a more
          balanced picture.
  •       Family therapy - Since PTSD affects everyone in the family, family therapy can
          very productive in helping family members to understand what the sufferers are
          going through. It helps to improve communication within the family or marriage,
          and give valuable perspective to the problems.
  •       Medication if necessary to relieve the secondary symptoms, but it does not treat
          the causes of PTSD
  •       Group therapy or support is very important in that the individual is with others
          who have the same issue, and he/she can be accepted and understood. The
          individual is able to open up about those things held inside and gain valuable
          perspective and emotional support from fellow PTSD sufferers that the
          population at large is unable to give.
  •       Eye Movement Integration (EMI) is a quick and effective technique which
          incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with eye movements. It
          unfreezes the brain's information processing system which is interrupted in times
          of extreme stress, leaving only frozen emotional fragments which retain their
          original intensity (PTSD). The experience, before EMI, is not processed, and
          that is why, after passage of time, the intensity of the memory makes it feel like it
          just happened recently. The eye movements, along with reliving the trauma, help
          process the experience and move it along in the brain's information processing
          system where the experiences(s) are processed, put into perspective, and put in the
          past. I have had remarkable, and very quick, results with this technique. Progress
          is usually seen after two or three sessions.
    

Loving Someone with PTSD:

•  
  •       Be patient and understanding. Getting better takes time, be patient with the pace of
          recovery and offer a sympathetic ear. Realize the need to talk about the event is a part of
          the healing process, and avoid the temptation to tell your loved one to stop rehashing the
          past and move on.
    
  •       Try to anticipate and prepare for PTSD triggers. Common triggers include anniversary
          dates, people or places associated with the trauma; and certain sights, sounds, or smells.
          If you are aware of what triggers may cause an upsetting reaction, you'll be in a better
          position to offer our support.
    
  •       Don't take the symptoms of PTSD personally. Common symptoms of PTSD
          include emotional numbness, anger, and withdrawal. If your loved one seems
          distant, irritable, or closed off, remember that this may not have anything to do
          with your relationship.
  •       Encourage your loved one to get help, and if he/she is not willing, you may need
          to get into therapy yourself as you are no doubt affected by the PTSD. In addition
          to helping you cope and gain perspective, it may be an incentive for your loved
          one to seek help also. Keep on encouraging your loved one, there are very
          effective treatments for this disorder.
    

                                    Hope Dillard, Licensed Professional Counselor
                                    Board Certified Professional Counselor
                                    Williamsburg Centre for Therapy
                                    757-253-0371