What is PTSD?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a set of reactions that can develop in people who have been through a traumatic event which threatened their life or safety, or that of others around them i.e. a serious car accident, sexual assault or war. People who experience PTSD can have feelings of intense fear, helplessness or horror.

12 percent of Australians will experience PTSD in their lifetime, with serious accidents being the leading cause of PTSD.

Living with PTSD

People with PTSD often experience feelings of panic or extreme fear, similar to the fear felt during the traumatic event.

A person with PTSD experiences four main types of difficulties.

1. Re-living the traumatic event – The person relives the event through unwanted and recurring memories i.e. vivid images and nightmares. There may also be intense emotional or physical reactions i.e. sweating, heart palpitations or panic when reminded of the event.
2. Being overly alert of wound up – The person experiences sleeping difficulties, irritability and lack concentration, becoming easily startled and constantly on the lookout for signs of danger.
3. Avoiding reminders of the event – The person deliberately avoids activities, places, people, thoughts or feelings associated with an event because they associate painful memories.
4. Feeling emotionally numb – The person loses interest in the day-to-day activities, feels cut off and detached from friends and family, or feels emotionally flat and numb.

Symptoms

Symptoms of PTSD may have the following symptoms.

• Upsetting memories, flashbacks or dreams.
• Feeling physically and psychologically distressed when something reminds you of the event.

Individuals may also experience at least two of the following.

• Trouble remembering the event, negative beliefs of yourself, others and the world, persistently blaming yourself and others for what happened, feeling negative, angry, guilty or ashamed, feeling less interested in doing things you used to enjoy, feeling cut off from others and having trouble feeling positive emotions.
• Having difficulties sleeping i.e. bad dreams, find it hard to fall asleep or stay awake, feeling angered or irritated easily, engage in reckless or self-destructive behaviour, trouble concentrating, feeling on guard or vigilant or being startled easily.

 

Services available

Services available:

UNSW – Traumatic Stress Clinic

Sydney – Associated Counsellors & Psychologists Sydney