PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
An anxiety disorder following personal experience,or exposure to a deeply traumatic event.
Symptoms
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is characterised by symptoms such as:
- Panic,
- Distressing and intrusive thoughts,
- Flashbacks, and nightmares.
All of which have been initiated by personally experiencing or witnessing a terrifying, sometimes life threatening event (or repeated events).
Physical or sexual assault, major accidents, natural disasters, combat or warfare are situations which frequently have been linked with PTSD.
Witnessing horrific events as many police and medical staff and others do, may also create long lasting emotional turmoil. Whilst not everyone who experiences a deeply traumatic happening is affected in this way, or for whom it is short-lived, for over half of the others it becomes a major barrier to continuing with life as they had before.
Other Symptoms include:
Avoidance of environments, emotional attachments, hyper-vigilance.
As well as other symptoms which may keep recurring such as self-harm and/or feeling unjustified guilt.
Extreme trauma may be so repressed that it cannot be recalled –and therefore cannot be dealt with by the sufferer.
Key Information
Each presentation of PTSD is different and unique.
The exact nature of the trauma itself, circumstances of the trauma and whether it was personally experienced or witnessed will be of critical significance.
The history, character, strengths and motivations of the individual experiencing PTSD add to the variables. Finally, the exact effect on that individual and on their family and colleagues are of crucial importance and may differ markedly from person to person.
For most, events can only be handled in small manageable fractions but by doing so strengths are developed to overcome the symptoms.
Therapy concentrates on first providing a platform for a full and open exploration of the source(s) of the anxiety and behaviours.
This may be as straightforward as listening and reflecting, or involve other therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive -Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Hypnotherapy.
CBT changes the way that negative thoughts and images are dealt with and how intense feelings and impulses can be handled and diminished.
Hypnotherapy adds the powerful properties of Hypnosis. Itis uniquely effective in both accessing memories as well as dealing with them so that life can be tolerable again and the events managed even eliminated.
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