Understanding PTSD
A horrific event can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health disease that can be brought on by experiencing it or seeing it. People suffering from PTSD experience flashbacks, nightmares, and uncontrollable thoughts. The majority of people who experience traumatic circumstances might initially struggle to adjust and cope, but with time and adequate self-care, they typically get better. You may have PTSD if the symptoms worsen, last for weeks, months, or even years, and affect your daily functioning.
Most victims of traumatic events experience a range of emotions, including shock, rage, anxiety, and sometimes guilt. These reactions are typical, and for the majority of people, they pass with time. But for someone with PTSD, these emotions persist and even worsen, becoming so intense that they prevent them from living their life normally. People with PTSD experience symptoms for more than a month and are less able to function than they did before the event that set it off.
SYMPTOMS OF PTSD
The majority of the time, symptoms appear within 3 months of the traumatic event, although they might also appear years afterwards. To be deemed as PTSD, symptoms must last for more than a month and be severe enough to interfere with relationships or job. The sickness takes different courses. While some people's symptoms subside within six months, others continue to have them. The problem can become severe in some people
A medical professional can diagnose PTSD by looking at the symptoms the patient faces.You must experience all of the following for at least one month in order to be diagnosed with PTSD:
•Flashbacks: Reliving the tragedy repeatedly while also feeling bodily sensations like a pounding heart or sweating, bad dreams. Reliving the event can interfere with a person's daily activities. The person's own ideas and feelings may be the source of the symptoms. Reliving symptoms can also be brought on by words, things, or circumstances that serve as reminders of the incident.
• Avoidance: Staying away from locations, occasions, or things that serve as memories of the traumatic experience are examples of avoidance symptoms. Avoiding anything that reminds you of the painful incident. Avoidance symptoms might be brought on by things that make a person think of the traumatic experience. A person's personal routine may need to modify as a result of these symptoms.
•Emotional/ cognitive instability: Among the cognitive and emotional symptoms are: difficulty recalling important details of the stressful event, loss of enthusiasm for fun activities. It might also bring about a rollercoaster of emotion, including mood swings, crying spells, guilt and difficulty sleeping.
It is normal to suffer from some of these symptoms after a traumatic event. It becomes PTSD if it still persist after a month, and if it affects your physical, emotional and mental health. Some people go months without exhibiting this symptoms only for it to pop out later.
When to consult a doctor
After a traumatic event,it's normal to have disturbing thoughts, but most of these symptoms go after some weeks. If, four weeks after the traumatic event, you are still experiencing issues or if your symptoms are very bothersome, you should contact a doctor. Your doctor can recommend mental health professionals to you if additional evaluation and treatment are required.