What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It is more than just feeling upset or shaken. PTSD can affect how the brain processes memories, emotions, and everyday life.

People with PTSD often re-experience the trauma in distressing ways, feel constantly on edge, or avoid reminders of what happened.

What Can Cause PTSD?

PTSD can develop after any distressing or life-threatening event, including:

• Military combat or exposure to war zones

• Serious accidents (road traffic collisions, workplace injuries)

• Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, fires)

• Assaults or abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual)

• Sudden loss of a loved one

• Medical emergencies or life-threatening illnesses

It's important to remember: not everyone exposed to trauma develops PTSD. Some may experience short-term distress that fades, while others may develop longer-lasting symptoms.

Common Symptoms of PTSD

PTSD symptoms usually fall into four categories:

1. Re-experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts.

2. Avoidance: staying away from places, people, or situations that remind you of the trauma.

3. Hyperarousal feelings include being "on edge," jumpy, having difficulty sleeping, and being easily startled.

4. Negative mood and thoughts, guilt, shame, feeling detached or hopeless.

Symptoms often appear within weeks of the trauma, but sometimes they may not surface until months or even years later.

Therapies and Treatments for PTSD

The good news is that PTSD is treatable, and many people recover fully with the proper support. Treatments include:

Psychological Therapies

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with a trauma focus – helps reframe negative thinking patterns and process memories more healthily.

• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) – uses guided eye movements to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories.

• Exposure therapy gradually reduces avoidance by safely confronting reminders of the trauma.

• Group therapy – sharing experiences with others who have PTSD can reduce isolation.

Medication

• Antidepressants (SSRIs) – such as sertraline or paroxetine- are sometimes prescribed to help manage symptoms like anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

• Alternative medications may be used for specific issues like sleep disturbances or severe anxiety.

Self-Help and Lifestyle Support

• Building a strong support network of friends, family, or peer groups.

• Mindfulness, relaxation, and exercise to manage stress and improve well-being.

• Limiting alcohol or drugs can worsen symptoms.

Final Thoughts

PTSD is a serious but treatable condition. If you or someone you know is struggling after a traumatic experience, it's essential to seek professional help. With the right therapies, many people find relief, regain control, and rebuild fulfilling lives.

People who have suffered a trauma at a young age lack the experience and skills to deal with it. Abuse frequently happens when people are young and vulnerable, along with soldiers who are often young, institutionalised and lack real-world experience. When reality hits, it hits hard!

Seeking help is not a sign of weakness; it's a demonstration of strength, the next stage in the battle.

If you think you might have PTSD: Speak to your Friends, Doctor, a mental health professional, or contact a support organisation such as Mind, Combat Stress, or NHS Talking Therapies. Until you take action, you are unlikely to find the solution that helps you or your loved one.

Once you start looking for help, you will realise how many people are and have been suffering in science.

You're not on your own, even though that's how you feel. The emotion is real; reach out for help.