What Are the Symptoms?

Symptoms of PTSD can vary but often include:

• Intrusive thoughts such as repeated, involuntary memories; distressing dreams; or flashbacks of the traumatic event.
• Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event.
• Negative changes in thinking and mood, such as exaggerated negative beliefs about oneself or the world, or feelings of fear, guilt, or shame.
• Changes in physical and emotional reactions like being easily startled, feeling tense, or having difficulty sleeping.

What Are the Causes?

• Not caused by weakness
• Not caused by character flaws

PTSD develops in response to experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event that causes intense fear, horror, or feelings of helplessness. Factors that can increase the risk of developing PTSD include:

• The intensity and duration of the trauma
• Having experienced previous traumatic events
• Having a mental health condition or a family history of mental health conditions

Treatments

Treatment for PTSD typically involves psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two. Psychotherapies used include

• Cognitive Processing Therapy
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).

Antidepressant medications can also be effective in treating PTSD.

Self Help

Along with professional treatment, self-care strategies can help manage symptoms of PTSD. These may include :

• Regular Physical Activity
• Adequate sleep
• A Healthy diet
• Avoiding Alcohol & Drugs
• Staying Connected With Supportive and Caring People
• Learning stress management and relaxation Techniques.