For many years, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was not fully understood; this is a mental health issue whereby a previous traumatic experience can manifest a range of extreme emotions in the sufferer. Those who typically suffer from PTSD are ex-military or first responders who have experienced extreme trauma of some form or another. Air crash survivors might suffer PTSD, as they relive the traumatic events of the accident, or it might be a horrific road traffic accident
Combat veterans
This is the group of people that are most likely to have emotional scars from their combat experience; PTSD can manifest in a number of ways and it could take years to come to the forefront. Even with all the military training that combat soldiers receive, nothing can prepare them for some of the situations they find themselves in and at the time, they seem to be able to deal with things, yet PTSD can surface without warning. Contact a leading Veteran Medical service for the best possible care.
Typical symptoms of PTSD
There are four types of PTSD symptoms, which are as follows:
- Intrusive memories – This could take the form of flashbacks, which might be triggered by audio-visual stimuli. Nightmares often accompany PTSD and these can be as traumatic as the actual event(s). Anything might trigger these unwanted memories and it can be just as traumatic as the actual event.
- Avoidance – Avoidance is a natural response to blocking out traumatic memories; a sufferer might refrain from going to places that remind them of traumatic events, or they might avoid contact with those that bring back traumatic memories.
- Negative mood swings – Negative mood swings are a frequent occurrence for PTSD sufferers; you might suddenly have negative thoughts about yourself or others. In extreme cases, the sufferer might think about suicide, to be in a place where nothing seems to make sense.
- Physical/emotional response – How a person responds to a physical or emotional experience can vary greatly. It might involve a person being startled or easily frightened, or it might be that the person is constantly on edge, tense and ready to explode into action. It might take the form of dangerous behaviour, such as driving too fast, while indulging in mind-altering substances is often one way that a PTSD sufferer deals with their mental health issues.
If you, or someone close to you, is suffering from mental health issues and you think it might be PTSD, contact a leading Australian medical practice that specialises in treating PTSD.
