What Is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Symptoms, Causes, Types and Treatment 

What Is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Symptoms, Causes, Types and Treatment


What Is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Introduction

Post traumatic stress disorder, also called PTSD, happens when something very scary, dangerous, or sad happens that a person can't get out of their head. It changes how that person thinks and feels.   

PTSD makes it hard for a person to do things they used to do. It can cause you to have strong feelings like anxiety, fear, guilt, shame, and anger.

PTSD causes people to think about the bad thing that happened in a way that won't go away. These thoughts happen over and over again. PTSD can ruin people's lives. But there are things you can do to make it better.  

Symptoms of PTSD

The signs of PTSD start happening in the 3 months after something scary happened.  But sometimes PTSD signs can start years later. Every person has PTSD differently.  

Some of the most common signs are:


  • Having bad memories of what happened. Seeing or hearing things related to what happened brings memories back. This causes problems like not being able to sleep, focus, or feel okay.   
  • Trying to avoid anything that makes you think about what happened. Some people try not to think or feel anything related to the bad memory.     
  • Feeling grumpy. PTSD causes anger, guilt, and shame. It's hard to enjoy things anymore.  
  • Always feeling like something bad is going to happen. Little noises or movements startle you easily. You can't relax. Problems sleeping and concentrating happen too.

Who Gets PTSD?

PTSD usually happens to people who went through something really scary or dangerous.  

Things that increase the chance of getting PTSD are:

  • How bad and how long the scary event lasted. The worse and longer it was, the more likely PTSD will happen.
  • Not having friends and family to help after the event. People who got support from others are less likely to get PTSD.
  • Having PTSD before or bad life events in the past. This makes people more at risk for PTSD again.  
  • Family history of mental health issues. PTSD sometimes runs in families.

Types of PTSD

Acute: PTSD that starts within 1 month after the scary event and lasts less than 3 months.  

Chronic:  PTSD that lasts 3 months or more after the scary event. This is the most common type.

Delayed: PTSD that starts 6 months or more after the scary event. Symptoms tend to get worse slowly over time.

Treating PTSD

The first choice to treat PTSD is therapy and medicine together. The most common treatments are:

  • Talking to a professional counselor. They can teach you coping skills to feel better.  
  • Seeing a doctor who can prescribe medicine to help with bad thoughts and feelings.   
  • Group therapy where people with PTSD help each other. They share how they're dealing with it.
  • Intense treatment programs for people with really bad PTSD. These programs use activities and exercises to stabilize symptoms.   

Healing from PTSD

Even though PTSD is tough, a lot of people see big improvements with treatment and changes they make in their lives. Some things that help are:

  • Starting treatment as soon as you can after PTSD begins  
  • Finding things that work for you to feel better like exercise, meditating, or journaling  
  • Having family and friends to support you  
  • Avoiding alcohol and drugs   
  • Accepting what happened and learning to forgive yourself

Conclusion

To sum up, post traumatic stress disorder happens after going through something really scary. The symptoms can disrupt your whole life. But with the right treatment and support system, most people see big improvements and relief from PTSD over time.