PTSD
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) emerges as an anxiety condition stemming from intensely distressing and alarming incidents.
The harrowing experiences that individuals find profoundly traumatic possess the potential to trigger PTSD. It may manifest soon after a disturbing event or remain dormant, surfacing weeks, months, or even years after the occurrence.
Approximately one in three individuals encountering trauma are believed to be impacted by PTSD, though the precise reasons why some individuals develop this condition while others do not still elude full comprehension.
Symptoms:
- Reliving the past through vivid flashbacks, haunting nightmares, and repetitive distressing images or sensations.
- Engaging in avoidance and emotional numbness as a coping mechanism. This might involve staying away from specific people or places that trigger memories of the trauma and refraining from discussing the experience with others.
- Hyperarousal, a state of being constantly on edge, often resulting in irritability, angry outbursts, difficulty sleeping (insomnia), and challenges with concentration.
- Potential co-occurring mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or phobias may arise in response to the traumatic event.
- Individuals may resort to self-harming or destructive behaviors, including drug misuse or alcohol abuse, as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions.
- Other physical symptoms may manifest, such as headaches, dizziness, chest pains, or stomach aches, reflecting the impact of the trauma on both the mind and body.