Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health illness that can arise following exposure to a stressful incident. This is like a mark on your mental health after you have gone through a lot in life that was unbearable. Anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background, can be affected by this illness. Any violent personal attacks, natural catastrophes, major accidents, and other traumatic situations can all cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These experiences can leave lasting emotional scars, and for some people, the fallout from the encounter can be just as stressful as the original incident.
Like a deep emotional wound that isn’t healed properly, it causes distress and interferes with day-to-day activities. When your inner world is suffering, it automatically influences the outer world. Even in safe situations, people with Post-traumatic stress disorder frequently experience the sensation of reliving the incident. This is why a lot of people feel terrible even in moments of happiness. It could be difficult to enjoy life or feel at ease as they once did as a result. Anyone can be impacted by PTSD, and it’s critical to recognize that this is a severe illness that calls for care and understanding.
Simply understanding this, envision a person coming home from the hospital suffering a horrible incident and injuries. Everything appears to be alright; the person is back with family and in a secure setting. But, that person might still be experiencing extreme anxiety, though, as if it is still on the threat, inside, where they can still hear or feel the flashbacks. With post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the trauma from the past haunts the present. It goes beyond simply having unpleasant memories, it often includes vividly reliving those events to the point where it seems as though the trauma is occurring again.
PTSD is a severe and frequently incapacitating disorder, it is not only a stress response.
It may seem to those impacted that they are caught in a never-ending loop of their darkest experiences. It may be really challenging for them to go on and enjoy life the way they used to because of this. It’s possible for relationships to suffer, for work and everyday activities to suffer, and for a feeling of normalcy to seem possible.
The fact that Post-traumatic stress disorder doesn’t usually manifest itself right away after the traumatic experience is what makes it so difficult to treat. There are situations when symptoms don’t show up for months or even years. It can be challenging for people and the people who love them to draw the connection between the upsetting symptoms and the trauma because of this delayed start.
Furthermore, the severity of these symptoms might differ; they may decrease temporarily before rising with ferocity in reaction to stressors that don’t seem to be related to the trauma. PTSD sufferers may find that ordinary circumstances turn into problems. Strong reactions might be triggered by loud noises, specific smells, or even specific locations. These stimuli may result in flashbacks, which give the person the impression that the terrible event is happening to them again. Another common and horrifying feature of PTSD is nightmares, which can cause sleep disturbances and a stubborn feeling of tiredness.
Nonetheless, Post-traumatic stress disorder is neither a moral failing nor a sign of weakness. It is a serious illness that impacts both the body and the brain. A traumatic incident can overwhelm a person’s brain, making it difficult for them to properly process and maintain their memories. As a result, the traumatic event may get somewhat stuck and start to interfere with daily living.
Symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Reliving the distressing incident
- Nightmares and flashbacks
- Keeping away from people, places, or activities that bring up the trauma
- Avoiding certain areas of the city
- Avoiding talking about the incident
- negative alterations in mood and thoughts
- sentiments of helplessness
- Cut off from other people
- Loss of interest in activities that you used to enjoy
- memory loss of significant details from the distressing experience
- Blame oneself for the trauma
- having a short fuse
- feeling alert or tense
- Inability to fall asleep
Causes of Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Traumatic Event Exposure
- Natural catastrophes (such as storms and earthquakes)
- serious mishaps, including auto accidents
- Combat or wartime experiences
- Abuse
- Experiencing Traumatic Events
- Witnessing acts of violence or fatalities
- seeing a grave mishap
- observing a painful incident as a spectator
- being threatened with a weapon or kept at gunpoint
- severe harassment or bullying
- Extended Exposure to Stressful Circumstances
- long-term maltreatment (emotional, sexual, or physical)
- exposed to stressful situations regularly
- Unexpected loss of a family member
- Unexpectedly losing a loved one
- Being mistreated or abused as a child
- being exposed to domestic abuse at home
Nevertheless, It’s about realizing that invisible wounds can cause just as much disability as physical ones. Everybody’s experience with Post-traumatic stress disorder is different, and so is how they manage and get better. It is feasible to control the symptoms and take back control of one’s life, nevertheless, with the correct help, understanding, and medical attention.
