Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a very scary or traumatic event in which a person could have been hurt or killed. Traumatic events that could cause PTSD include being a victim of a violent attack (like rape), natural disasters (like a hurricane), accidents (like a car crash), or military combat.
What are the symptoms, or warning signs, of PTSD?
The warning signs of PTSD can be very scary and disrupt your life. The symptoms of PTSD can be divided into four different groups:
- Reliving the event – also called a flashback
- You can think that the scary event is happening all over again
- You can have scary thoughts or nightmares
- Sometimes there is a trigger – or something that causes you to relive the event. It could be a loud sound like fireworks or seeing a movie with scenes that could bring back memories
- Avoiding things that remind you of the event
- You might try to be very busy so you don’t have to think about the event
- You could avoid certain places that remind you of where the event happened
- You could avoid movies, TV shows, books, or magazine articles that remind you of the event
- Feeling numb
- In order to avoid thinking about the scary event, you could shut out your emotions.
- You might not be interested in the same things you used to be
- You might stay away from relationships or not talk to the special people in your life about your feelings
- Feeling keyed up
- You might be on the lookout for something bad to happen or someone to hurt you
- You could be angry for no reason
- You could have trouble sleeping
- You could be very startled if someone surprises you
- You could have trouble concentrating because you are worried about what is going on around you
How does PTSD start?
Symptoms usually start within three months of the event. But sometimes, warning signs do not show up for years. Anyone, even children, can develop PTSD.
If you are in the Army, you will have to take a Post Deployment health Reassessment or PDHRA when you return from a combat mission. This is usually given 3-6 months after you redeploy. Since they wait 3-6 months after you come home, they can usually see if you are developing signs of PTSD.
Can PTSD be cured?
Some people with PTSD can get better within six months of getting help. Others may take years to recover.
There are lots of different types of treatment for PTSD. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a very effective form of counseling for PTSD. Different types of this therapy include cognitive therapy, which encourages survivors to talk about their upsetting thoughts about the event and try to replace them with more balanced, helpful thoughts, and exposure therapy, which tries to get the survivor to visit the scene in their mind and try to gain control of the fear or stress they feel. Another therapy is EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Some medications can also be used – usually they are they same medicines used to treat depression.
The most important thing to remember is to get help. Talk to your doctor about your experience or your feelings. Tell your doctor if you have some of the warning signs, like flashbacks, or difficulty going about your daily activities. A lot of doctors, social workers, or counselors in Jefferson County have special training in PTSD treatment.
PTSD and the Military
Most members of the military have or will soon see combat. Soldiers usually see horrible things and are put in grave danger on a regular basis. You may have been shot at, see a fellow soldier get hurt, or see dead people. These are all events that could lead to PTSD. But you are not alone.
The most recent data shows that about 25% of soldiers that have been in Iraq or Afghanistan are at risk for PTSD – meaning that they are showing symptoms. If you are showing signs of PTSD that do not go away, you should seek help from the Fort Drum Behavioral Health Department. There is also a Fort Drum / Samaritan Medical Center Clinic for active duty soldiers located at 164 Coleman Avenue in Watertown. They are also specially trained in PTSD.
Links for General Information about PTSD
American Psychiatric Association PTSD Fact Sheet
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Network of Care – PTSD Library
Links for Information about PTSD and the Military
Department of Veteran’s Affairs National Center for PTSD
National Alliance on Mental Illness Veterans Resource Center – PTSD
Sources: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. New York State Office of Mental Health. July 2008.
PTSD Fact Sheet. National Center for PTSD.