PTSD? Recovering after Trauma

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Registered: 03-11-2004
PTSD? Recovering after Trauma
Sat, 07-28-2007 - 12:11am

Thought this might be helpful for some of us. jan


Recovering After Trauma
You may need help overcoming anxiety after a stressful event.


Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an intense physical and emotional response to thoughts and reminders of a traumatic event — it can last for weeks or months after the incident.
The symptoms of PTSD fall into three broad types: re-living, avoidance, and increased arousal.


Symptoms of re-living include flashbacks, nightmares, and extreme emotional and physical reactions to reminders of the event. Emotional reactions can include feeling guilty, extreme fear of harm, and numbing of emotions. Physical reactions can include uncontrollable shaking, chills or heart palpitations, and tension headaches.
Symptoms of avoidance include staying away from activities, places, thoughts, or feelings related to the trauma or feeling detached or estranged from others.
Symptoms of increased arousal include being overly alert or easily startled, irritable or quick to anger, along with having difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
Other symptoms linked with PTSD include panic attacks, depression, suicidal thoughts, drug abuse, feelings of alienation and isolation, and the inability to complete daily tasks.
In addition to seeking professional treatment to help you deal with PTSD, there are things you can do to cope with it on daily basis:


Try to maintain your usual routine.
Take the time to resolve day-to-day conflicts so they do not add to your stress.
Try not to shy away from situations, people, or places that remind you of the traumatic event.
Find ways to relax and be kind to yourself.
Turn to family, friends, and clergy person for support, and talk about your experiences and feelings with them.
Participate in leisure and recreational activities.
Last updated: July 2006


Source: The National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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