Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Causes, and Solution

Post-traumatic stress disorder can happen to anyone after experiencing a significant situation. In modern life, post-traumatic stress is so common that 6 out of every 100 citizens in the US are dealing with it. PTSD symptoms may appear either instantly or three to four months after it. But, how do you know if you have post-traumatic stress disorder?

Intense feelings and disturbing thoughts last for many days after the incident. Individuals may feel estranged from their family members, friends, and colleagues. If you have also felt the same recently, here is something you need to know.

Symptoms of PTSD

Negative chain of thoughts

Negative thoughts may trigger you every now & then due to a change in mood swings. Hopelessness about the future may hold you back from taking any action. All this may happen in your personal or professional life. It is not one or two thoughts; once triggered, it would be a chain of negative and disturbing thoughts.

The negative thoughts may leave you detached from your family members and friends. And you may feel difficulty in maintaining relationships with others. You may not feel like carrying out activities that you used to love. The numb and overwhelming feeling is always there when suffering from PTSD.

Change in emotional and physical reaction

Physical and emotional changes are the basic symptoms of PTSD. Feeling frightened in every situation, having difficulty dealing with even simple situations, and always being alert are emotional reactions of the individuals facing PTSD. These individuals often fail to progress in professional and personal life because it is difficult to concentrate when so many negative thoughts run through their minds.

Aggression becomes that individual's second nature, which hurts personal relationships. Everyone gets cut off from the individual's life, and isolation occurs. Sometimes the situation gets so worse that suicidal thoughts may trigger. Self-destructive actions are commonly seen in people suffering from PTSD.

Intrusive memories

Nightmares and flashbacks are common symptoms of PTSD. The intrusive memories affect the quality of thoughts as flashbacks from pictures from a daunting past repeatedly flow in the mind. Sometimes, controlling the chain of these thoughts becomes impossible, encouraging an individual to shift towards abusive substances to relieve the stressful thoughts. In PTSD, sufferers may start reliving the daunting past that has drastically impacted their minds.

What are the causes of PTSD?

After understanding what PTSD is and its symptoms, you may ponder what are the causes of PTSD. There is no particular situation as such that can define the causes of PTSD because everyone has different tolerance levels. Some overwhelming situations can trigger PTSD. Read on to know what those situations could be:

Unexpected changes at work, bullying and job lossSexual assaultPhysical violenceAccidentsNatural disasterBeing bullied and harassedLoss of dear onesTraumatic childhoodExperiencing terrorist attack

Some people move on after a few days of the incident, but others may find it challenging. They need support, treatment, and tranquility. Counseling is the best treatment option for PTSD sufferers. There are several types of counseling methods that can help. If you or someone you know is suffering from PTSD, don't ignore the problem; move ahead by exploring counseling methods. Continue reading to know more.

Various counseling methods for PTSD

The American Psychological Association recommends four counseling options for the treatment of PTSD in Phoenix, AZ. They are listed below-:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most sought-after treatment therapy for PTSD. The goal is to alter the thought process or the perception of suffering towards daunting memories. It takes a lot of effort to change your thinking or outlook; however, with the help of a therapist, it becomes quite easy.

You need to tell your therapist about your past incident, which is a daunting task. If you don't want to tell anyone about your past or feel uncomfortable retelling the whole situation, you can seek another treatment option, i.e., EMDR.

EMDR therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a well known treatment option for PTSD. It doesn't focus on altering the perception of daunting thoughts. Instead, it makes you adapt to that thought. You don't have to tell the whole story in EMDR therapy as it is not required. Reach out to the best professional for EMDR therapy in Phoenix for effective treatment.