Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common mental illness which is a result of the delay in the psychological response of the victim to an extremely bad situation(s) he has experienced.
A situation which is usually disheartening, dread, threatening and likely going to cause a problem to the victim.
This situation, which he’s not able to forget, likewise adjusting himself or getting a way out to prevent or avert the consequences.
For example, a parent having his only child in a comatose condition and doctors are on sideline regarding the child coming back to life or not.
Another example is a businessman who has taken a huge loan to purchase goods, only to lose his goods to accidents or fire outbreaks.
These would cause trauma and it could be on a short or long duration depending on the immediate or resultant effects of the situation.
The people affected experience feelings such as fear and defencelessness and when there’s no consolation, the person affected may lose mental control.
If you have someone with this kind of unforgetfulness, he should seek advice from therapists.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with reactions to severe stress and adjustment disorders.
Most times, you’ll find people using post-traumatic stress syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder interchangeably.
A typical PTSD is often referenced as the symptoms of reexperience in which the person affected gets obsessed with the memories of the trauma in the form of daydreaming or flashbacks, and at night, it usually leads to anxiety dreams.
Symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
The symptoms of PTSD may occur immediately after the trauma and may come up after several years.
The signs and symptoms are often categorized into three forms.
- Re-experiencing the bad event through distressing recollections of the event in the form of flashbacks, daydreaming, and nightmares.
- Emotional numbness, segregation from people, avoidance of participating in activities, going to some places or contributing to some topics which are perceived as reminders of the sad moments by the person affected.
- Increased arousal such as sleeplessness, feeling emotionally imbalance, getting easily irritated to things, places or events suddenly, increased temperament and being annoyed frequently.
5 out of every 10 adults experience a traumatic event at least once in their lifetime and the possibility of experiencing the above-mentioned symptoms depends, among other things, on the nature of the trauma.
Now to the signs and symptoms of PTSD, let’s break down the categories to the common signs you’re much likely going to observe in people suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.
- Keeping quiet for too long in a lonely place in a manner that looks unrelaxed.
- Talking to oneself often, especially in an aggressive manner
- Increased alertness, irritability, difficulty in concentrating.
- Inability to sleep and excessive horror.
- Severe feelings of guilt, fear or self-hatred.
- Feelings of being too anxious or suspicious. These pent-up emotions can play out physically in the form of chills, shaking, headaches, heart palpitations, and fear attacks.
You’ll understand the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder by its negativity, and the fact that the person affected would suddenly exhibit different behavior that’s opposite to his usual way of life.
Such a person needs people to be around him as loneliness could trigger the thoughts of suicide which may come and go and form a circle until the person is rescued from this emotional distress.