PTSD Awareness

Overview

 

PTSD, (post-traumatic stress disorder) a mental health condition that many unfortunately
experience through their daily lives. About 6% of the population will have ptsd, yet just
for veterans that have served in Iraq or Afghanistan the percentage changes to around
11-20%. Most commonly this condition is developed from a traumatic event that occured
in someone's life. A soldier for example, could experience many traumatic events while in
battle, affecting them even in ways they may not be aware of. That is one of the reasons
it is important to be aware of the symptoms and what one could do to help deal with this
condition. This could help yourself or others close to you, PTSD can go unnoticed to
those who are unaware of some of the signs.

Symptoms

 

○ Changes in behavior

Could be displaying in large changes in emotions or actions. One could react differently
or more intensely than usual. This could include being depressed or easily short
tempered. Especially with flashbacks or seeing someone/something that reminds them of
the traumatic events could cause someone to have an emotional change instantly.

○ Not confronting problems

One may be very stressed or be dealing with a lot of problems yet refuse to confront what
is occuring in their lives. Many things or people could remind them of the past events,
causing the person to avoid these reminders. Doing this daily could eventually create problems
with ruining relationships as well as other situations. Many soilders tend to avoid talking
about the events they lived through. Some it's too hard to explain while others find it
impossible to tell another person about it. This symptom is the one of the most unnoticed
traits due to the hiding of feelings or thoughts.

○ Troubles with sleep

There could be recurring dreams of the event or even something related to it, causing
difficulty with sleeping. Some may get little to no sleep at all due to these thoughts
and dreams that occur. That amount of sleep could cause someone to have behavioral changes
without having any energy. Many go for long periods of time without any sleep resulting
in being tired all the time. Many soldiers experience this symptom where they have bad
dreams of the incidents they experience.

Treatments

 

Therapy has helped many with their PTSD and these problems they face. It helps some to
talk it out or find solutions with another persone or group that could know what they are
going through. CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), is believed to be a good form of
therapy for those expierencing this condition. It focuses on emotions and behaviors,
trying to lead thoughts down better paths so patients don't go through the symptoms of
PTSD. This has helped many, especially soilders that had to live through some extremely
harsh situations. If you or another person does not know how to reach out for a doctor,
there can be some found at this site. If your looking for a therapist use this. If neither of
these are options for you or another you could always seek out support groups. Many
veterans meet in groups to talk about what they are going through with others at different
times. You can use this to help find a support group near you.