What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder & What are the Common Symptoms?
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PTSD is a whole-body tragedy, an integral human event of
enormous proportions with massive repercussions.
- Susan Pease Banitt
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”5/6"][vc_column_text]Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological response that occurs as a result of an experience of intense trauma. This event typically involves a situation in which the person’s life was threatened in some way however what is seen as a threat or a traumatic situation can varying from person to person. PTSD can, in some cases, be associated with other mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and/or substance abuse. Soldiers and veterans are amongst the most common group to suffer from PTSD as many of them have been faced with intense threatening situations on more than one occasion.
Symptoms can be as vast as the traumatic event itself and can be grouped into one of four categories; intrusive, physical/somatic, avoidance/numbing and arousal symptoms. Here are some examples for each symptom group;
- Intrusive symptoms
- Distressing memories and images of specific incidences
- Nightmares of an event
- Flashbacks
- Physical/Somatic symptoms
- Being tired and having low energy
- Back, arm, leg and joint pain
- Sweating, increased heart rate or muscle tension
- Avoidance/Numbing Symptoms
- Avoiding any reminders of trauma (thoughts, feelings, conversations and activities related to the event)
- Gaps in memory
- Losing interest in everyday activities
- Feelings of numbness
- Difficulty in imagining a future
- Arousal Symptoms
- Sleep disturbance
- Irritability or anger
- Problems with concentration
- Easily startled
Some simple strategies used in order to combat these symptoms and PTSD as a whole can include, eating healthy, exercising regularly, establishing a daily routine, asking for support and receiving counselling.
About one third of Canadian Force members with PTSD fail to seek any form of treatment in their lifetimes which is unfortunate as many of those who seek treatment discover some form of relief from their PTSD along with ways to deal with it on a day to day basis.
To find out more about how to get support or counselling contact Terrace Wellness Group.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1510338703189{padding-top: 40px !important;padding-right: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;padding-left: 40px !important;background-color: #d6d6d6 !important;}”]References
- Fikretoglu, D., Brunet, A., Guay, S., & Pedlar, D. (2007). Mental health treatment seeking by military members with posttraumatic stress disorder: Findings on rates, characteristics, and predictors from a nationally representative canadian military sample. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 52(2), 103–10. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/docview/222848124?accountid=14701
- St. Cyr, K., McIntyre-Smith, A., Contractor, A. A., Elhai, J. D., & Richardson, J. D. (2015). Somatic symptoms and health-related quality of life among treatment-seeking canadian forces personnel with PTSD. Psychiatry Research 218 (2014) 148–152. Retrieved from https://journals-scholarsportal-info.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/pdf/01651781/unassigned/nfp_ssahqotcfpwp.xml
- Veterans Affairs Canada. (2017). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and war-related stress. Government of Canada. Retrieved from http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/services/health/mental-health/publications/ptsd-warstress#Item4
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