Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder that is brought on by a severely traumatic experience. These experiences can include actual or threatened death, or serious injury, or threat to ones physical integrity to oneself or others (military combat, sexual assault, robbery, mugging, kidnapping, terrorist attack, torture, POW, natural or manmade disasters accidents or being diagnosed with a life threatening illness). The traumatic event can resurface in many ways but, more commonly, the person may have recurrent and intrusive recollections aka “flash backs” or dreams. In order to avoid recalling the experience an individual may make deliberate efforts to stay away from activities, situations, and conversations. Symptoms can include anxiety, difficulty falling or staying asleep fearing recurrent nightmares and exaggerated startle response. Irritability, outbursts of anger, or difficulty concentrating or completing tasks can also occur in some cases.