A post-traumatic stress disorder is a type of anxiety which is characterized by a major stress response to a traumatic or shocking event. If you suffer from a post-traumatic stress disorder, you display major stress responses to happenings which make you think about the traumatic event. not only these events will cause you stress, but your daily life is affected, too. The trauma thus has a large influence on your life.
Examples of traumas which could cause a post-traumatic stress disorder are:
- A robbery
- An attack
- Sexual assault or rape
- War
- Accidents
Symptoms of a post-traumatic stress disorder?
People who suffer from a post-traumatic stress disorder experience a major loss of control. You have the feeling that you have no grip on the situation anymore. During the traumatic event, you often experience a feeling of helplessness, which you continue to feel in your daily life in case of a post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, you will notice that things which used to be natural for you, are no longer so. You feel anxious and do not trust people and your surroundings anymore. You feel vulnerable and are mostly afraid.
Despite the traumatic event being in the past, you keep preparing for danger. You no longer feel safe and have the feeling that you are constantly in danger. For example, if you have fought in a way, it can be so that you still hear bombs, even while you are at home. People who have experienced rape, for example, are very anxious and hardly dare to leave the house anymore. This anxiety remains with them and does not decrease in severity. You are thus in a constant state of anxiety and stress.
Consequences of a post-traumatic stress disorder?
Because you are stuck in a constant state of anxiety, people with post-traumatic stress disorder often suffer from chronic stress. They are, on top of this, stuck in a constant state of agitation and often respond in a major way to the smallest triggers. For example, a biker who cycles right past them can trigger a strong reaction in people who have been the victim of sexual assault or rape.
This constant state of anxiety and stress in post-traumatic stress disorder of course does not have a positive result for the body. A commonly occurring consequence of post-traumatic stress disorder therefore entails physical complaints. Your muscles are tense constantly, you cannot relax, ... All these symptoms are very exhausting for your body, making you vulnerable to ailments and illnesses.
Treatment post-traumatic stress disorder?
A post-traumatic stress disorder can be treated by, for example, breaking the link to negative associations which one has created during the trauma. Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy have proven their usefulness in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. "15Minutes4Me.com" was inspired by these techniques when developing an online self-help program, which can guide you on a daily basis in the treatment of anxiety and stress. You can follow the program from home, which makes it just a small step to take toward getting help.
Do you think that you might suffer from a post-traumatic stress disorder? Then you can test your anxiety and stress for free at the hand of our free anxiety test.