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Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder occurs when
you have been exposed to traumatic events that cause
you to experience distressing psychological symptoms
which become disabling to you. Events that can cause
Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder include kidnapping,
sexual assault, physical assault, tornadoes or hurricanes,
witnessing the death or serious injury of another person,
being in or witnessing a car or plane crash, etc.
After experiencing the trauma, you find it difficult
to move on in your life as the event replays itself
over and over in your mind. At night, your sleeping
habits may become disturbed and/or you may begin to
have nightmares. You might find yourself angered
more and much more intensely and/or numb and find yourself
pulling away emotionally from your loved ones. These
symptoms usually appear shortly after the event, and
likely within three months following the traumatic
event, however, in some cases, symptoms sometimes don’t
appear until many months or even years later.
In order to receive a diagnosis of Post- Traumatic
Stress Disorder the following symptoms must have been
present for at least one month and must be interfering
significantly with your current life.
Symptoms of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder include:
- Feeling detached or estranged from others
- Emotional
numbness- being out of touch with your feelings
- Intense
Flashbacks- feeling as though you are reliving the
event all over again
- Nightmares
- Repetitive, distressing thoughts about
the incident
- Trying to avoid the thoughts or feelings
associated with the event
- Trying to avoid external
situations or activities that remind you of the incident
If you think you may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
speak with your family physician, psychologist, or
psychiatrist.
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