Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a psychological condition that could occur following a shocking or alarming event. During the actual event, it is possible to enter an “autopilot” mode to survive the experience. Subsequently, however, the mind gets back in touch with the reality of the facts. If you think you suffer from it, or know someone who might, read on to learn more about the problem and associated symptoms.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Understanding the Basics of PTSD
Step 1. Try to understand what it is
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a medical condition that can develop after going through a difficult and shocking experience. Following a trauma of this type, it is perfectly normal to feel a myriad of negative emotions, such as confusion, sadness, gloom, helplessness, pain, and so on. It is a very normal psychological reaction that characterizes the people who have suffered from it. However, these feelings should pass over time. On the other hand, when it comes to PTSD, these emotional responses become more and more acute instead of disappearing.
Generally, PTSD occurs when the event you experienced scared you or put your life in jeopardy. The longer this incident lasted, the more likely it is that this disorder will develop
Step 2. Try to figure out who this might happen to
If you've recently had a traumatic, frightening, or painful experience, you may be suffering from PTSD. PTSD does not only manifest itself among those who have experienced an accident firsthand, but also among those who have witnessed a terrifying event or had to suffer the consequences. In some cases, you can have PTSD even if a loved one has gone through a terrible experience.
- Among the most common events that trigger PTSD are sexual or armed assaults, natural disasters, the loss of a loved one, automobile or airplane accidents, torture, wars, or testimony of homicides.
- It is important to note that most people struggle with PTSD because of an act committed by another individual, not a natural disaster.
Step 3. Be aware of the temporal development of PTSD
As stated earlier, it is normal to feel strong negative feelings after going through a difficult experience. However, once a month has elapsed, these emotions generally begin to fade. Post-traumatic stress disorder becomes worrying if they turn sour after a month has passed and continue to come back violently despite the passing of time.
Step 4. Be aware of the risk factors that could make you prone to PTSD
If two people have had the exact same experience, but one develops the disorder while the other does not, then there are certain factors that make one individual more prone to PTSD than another, despite the fact that it is the same traumatic event. However, it's also important to remember that it doesn't happen to everyone who has the same risk factors, which include:
- A medical history of psychological problems within one's family. If you have relatives who suffer from anxiety or depression, you are at an increased risk of having PTSD.
- The personal way you respond to stress. Stress is normal, but some organisms produce greater amounts of chemicals and hormones that can increase tension, leading to abnormal levels of stress.
- Other experiences you have had. If you have faced other trauma in your life, the last one that happened to you may simply add to your past suffering, causing PTSD.
Method 2 of 3: Identify the Symptoms of PTSD
Step 1. Try to understand if you happen to deny or not think about what happened
When dealing with a traumatic experience, it may seem easier to avoid everything that suggests the accident. However, dealing with memories early is the healthiest way to overcome the trauma. If you suffer from PTSD, you will feel the need to do everything possible to avoid anything that brings your thoughts back to the difficulties you have encountered. Here are some symptoms that indicate a tendency to reject:
- You refuse to think about the situation.
- Stay away from people, places or objects that make you rethink what happened.
- You don't want to talk about this experience.
- You do everything to distract yourself, you let yourself be obsessed with certain activities so as not to think about what happened to you.
Step 2. Pay attention to inappropriate memories that may appear
Usually, when you remember something, it happens because you want to think about it. Invasive memories cannot be controlled: they appear all of a sudden in the mind without you actually giving the brain the order to access them. You may feel helpless and unable to stop them. Here are some examples of intrusive memories:
- Vivid flashbacks that make you suddenly remember the traumatic event.
- Nightmares that make you rethink what happened.
- The images of the event flow by themselves in your mind, without you being able to stop thinking about it.
Step 3. Find out if you want to deny what happened
Some people with PTSD react to a traumatic event by denying that it happened. They may behave as if nothing had happened, as if their life had not been disturbed in any way. This is a form of self-defense that takes place after experiencing a shocking event. The mind avoids the memories and the understanding of what happened in order not to suffer.
For example, a mother may experience denial following the death of her child. He may continue to pretend he's alive instead of accepting that he's gone
Step 4. Look for any changes that affect your way of thinking
It's normal to change your mind, it happens often. However, when you have PTSD, you find yourself having thoughts (about people, places and things) that never occurred before the accident. Here are some of the possible alterations:
- Negative thoughts about other people, places, situations and yourself.
- A feeling of indifference or despair when you think about the future.
- Inability to feel happiness or pleasure feeling of numbness.
- Inability or severe difficulty in empathizing with others and keeping your relationships alive.
- Problems with the mnemonic function, ranging from forgetting the little things to big gaps in memory about what happened.
Step 5. Acknowledge any emotional or physical changes you have experienced since the accident
Just as you have considered the alterations in your way of thinking, you should take note of the changes that have emerged on an emotional and physical level, especially if they never occurred before the event. It is important to remember that these changes may only occur once in a while, but if they become a constant, it is essential to straighten the antennas. Here are some of them:
- Insomnia (i.e. unable to fall asleep or sleep peacefully).
- Loss of appetite.
- You get angry or irritated very easily by demonstrating aggressive behavior.
- You are easily surprised by regular and usual happenings. For example, you get scared or panic when someone inadvertently drops the keys.
- You are unable to focus on the activities that previously absorbed you.
- Guilt or shame makes you feel overwhelmed.
- You manifest self-destructive behaviors, such as driving too fast, abusing various substances, or making distracted or risky decisions.
Step 6. Find out if you often get alert
Following a frightening or traumatic event, you may find yourself feeling particularly nervous or irritable. What usually wouldn't scare you now could cause you to feel panicked. A traumatic experience can develop a certain awareness that is far from necessary, but which the body considers fundamental following the event.
For example, if you've witnessed a bomb go off, you may find yourself jolting or panicking even when a person drops a bunch of keys or slams a door
Step 7. Talk about your experience with a psychologist
If these symptoms prevent you from living well, you should consider this possibility. A specialist can help you overcome these feelings and side effects. It can also help you determine if these are normal reactions or if you have PTSD.
Method 3 of 3: Recognizing the Problems Associated with PTSD
Step 1. Examine any symptoms of depression
Surviving a traumatic experience often causes this disorder. If you think you have PTSD, you may also have developed depression. Here are some symptoms:
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Sense of guilt, helplessness and a sense of worthlessness.
- Decreased energy and lack of interest in what usually makes you happy.
- You feel a deep sadness that doesn't seem to go away; it is also possible to have a sense of emptiness.
Step 2. Analyze your feelings to see if you suffer from anxiety
A generalized anxiety disorder may also develop following a terribly shocking experience, which goes far beyond just the stress or worries of everyday life. Here are some symptoms to spot it:
- You worry or are constantly obsessed with your problems, whether they are irrelevant or serious.
- You feel restless and have no desire to relax.
- You jump for a trifle and you feel tense and restless.
- You have trouble sleeping and a feeling of not being able to breathe well.
Step 3. Pay attention to any behaviors typical of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
When you have an experience that completely disrupts your life, you will do everything to get back to normal. Nonetheless, this desire for someone becomes so strong that it causes him to fall into an obsession. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can manifest itself in a variety of ways. To understand if you suffer from it, be sure to evaluate the following:
- You feel the need to wash your hands often. You have paranoia about cleansing your skin or think you have been tainted in some way.
- You manically check several things to make sure they are in order. For example, you check 10 times that the oven is off or that the door is locked.
- A sudden obsession with symmetry appears. You find yourself counting objects and rearranging things so they are perfectly symmetrical.
- You refuse to throw things away because you fear something bad might happen to you.
Step 4. Talk to someone if you are hallucinating, a phenomenon that you perceive through one of the five senses but that is not really happening
So you may hear voices, see, taste or smell things that aren't there, and feel the touch of something that isn't really touching you. People who suffer from hallucinations will have great problems distinguishing them from reality.
- One way to tell if you are hallucinating is to ask the people around you if they are having the same sensory experience.
- Remember that these hallucinations can develop into schizophrenia, so it's absolutely important to ask for help as soon as you start seeing and hearing things you're not sure about.
Step 5. See a doctor if you think you have amnesia
When you go through a traumatic experience, your memory can actually play tricks in order to keep the pain away from you. Amnesia also occurs when you repress or deny that the accident actually happened. If you suddenly feel that you have gaps in your memory about various details in your life or think you have wasted time not remembering what you did, you should talk to a doctor or someone you trust.
