Your Strength to Heal

We are dedicated to healing and preventing trauma through education, training and support.

We are dedicated to healing and preventing trauma through education, training and support.
  • Home
  • Trauma
    • Psychological Trauma
    • Trauma & Risk Factors
    • Causes of Trauma
    • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
    • Extreme Abuse
      • Extreme Abuse
      • Human Trafficking
      • Ritual Abuse
  • Addiction
    • Addiction
    • 12 Steps of AA – simplified version
  • Getting Help
    • Getting Help
    • Choosing a Therapist
    • Twelve Step Programs
    • Crisis Support Hotlines
    • Self Care
    • Financial Balance
    • Survivor Stories
  • Training & Resources
    • Workshops and Consultations
    • Clinician Resources
    • Clinician Articles
    • Survivor Resources
    • Survivors & Families Articles
    • Blog and Recent News
    • Our Articles
  • About Us
    • About Your Strength to Heal
    • Contact Us
    • Holistic Healing Center
    • You Can Help…
    • Kim’s Story

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Overview

It is common after a traumatic event to experience anxiety and difficulty coping with what happened. However, with time many people start to feel better and adjust. In the case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) though, the distress may last for months and even years.

Causes

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may develop following a terrifying, catastrophic or otherwise devastating event or series of events in which the person experiences extreme vulnerability, trauma or abuse.

A sample of some of the types of traumatic events that can lead to PTSD include witnessing or experiencing:

  • Rape/sexual assault/incest
  • Physical/emotional abuse
  • War/combat/terrorist attack
  • Assault/violence
  • Natural disaster
  • Accident/crash
  • Sudden loss of a child, parent or other loved one

Risk Factors

It’s difficult to predict who will develop PTSD and who won’t. However, some factors put people at more risk than others including mental health status prior to the event and the lack of effective support systems following the event.

Risk factor overview:

  • Pre-existing mental health issues
  • Lack of support systems following the event
  • Previous traumatic experiences
  • Compounded extreme stress following the event such as loss of a job or home

The risk of developing PTSD may be reduced by seeking help immediately after a traumatic event.

Symptoms in Teens and Adults

Symptoms vary but the most common are:

Reliving the Event

  • Recurring persistent memories of the event
  • Reliving the event over and over again (Flashbacks)
  • Extreme anxiety including physical and emotional distress when reminded of the event

Avoidance and Numbing

  • Avoiding situations or people that are reminders of the event
  • Loss of memory about aspects of the event
  • Feelings of fear, depression, hopelessness and/or isolation

Anxiety and Emotional Arousal

  • Problems sleeping and/or disturbing nightmares
  • Irritability, aggressive and/or self-destructive behavior

Symptoms in Children

It’s important to realize that symptoms in children may manifest in ways that are different than adults.

Symptoms may include:

  • Regression of previously acquired skills such as toilet training
  • Separation anxiety from parent
  • Acting out the experience through play acting, drawing or stories
  • New unexplained fears

Additional Reading

PTSD Symptoms

Promoting Resilience 

Getting Help

Helpful Information for Survivors

More Resources

  • Wounded warrior Military Combat Stress Recovery Program
  • What employers and co-workers need to know about PTSD in the Workplace
  • 5 stages of Recovery in PTSD
  • Combat Traumatic Stress in Women Veterans
Share

Your Strength to Heal

  • Blog and Recent News
  • Our Articles
  • Contact Us

Search for Articles

  • Search Term (optional)

Donate Today

Financial support is critical to what we do. Your donations empower us to provide healing resources for trauma and abuse survivors.

Help us to continue to educate, train, support and provide valuable online information for survivors, mental health professionals, and the community-at-large.

Donate ♥

Guidestar Gold Participant

Your Strength To Heal is a 501(C)3 organization · Privacy Notice · Terms of Use · Contact Us · Copyright © 2023 · Custom Web Design by Cascading Pixel · Log in