Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often associated with having been in a warzone but it’s an anxiety disorder that can be triggered by any distressing or traumatic event.
As many as 1 in 3 people who are involved in a traumatic incident will go on to develop PTSD so it’s more common than you might think.
Some of the events that can potentially act as PTSD triggers can include:
- Being involved in a serious traffic accident
- Being the victim of a sexual or other type of personal assault
- Witnessing a violent death
- Being caught up in a natural disaster
- Involvement in military combat
- Being caught up in a terrorist attack
- Being the victim of prolonged abuse
- Being diagnosed with a life threatening illness
PTSD has several aspects, including:
- Reliving the trauma through flashbacks, nightmares and intrusive images
- Avoiding anything that reminds of the trauma and trying to blank it out (emotional numbness)
- Hyperarousal - feeling on edge and alert to potential threats, which can lead to bursts of anger, feeling irritable, not being able to concentrate and sleep problems
Symptoms aren’t always constant and some people find that they have periods when symptoms are less intense and other times when they are more severe.
PTSD symptoms often develop within a month of the initial event but it can be months or even years before they come on.
Treatment can involve Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) that focuses specifically on trauma and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). Antidepressants may also be used.
With Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, you can gain tools to help you to overcome PTSD symptoms. Hypnotherapy can allow the trauma to be looked at from a different, more positive stance. The negative beliefs that stem from the trauma can also be addressed by speaking directly to the unconscious mind.
