Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to one or more terrifying events can occur at any age and can affect individuals of all races, social status, and gender in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. It is a severe and ongoing emotional reaction to an extreme psychological trauma.

The trauma usually involves feeling intense fear, helplessness or horror; Symptoms of PTSD can include recurring or intrusive thoughts about the trauma, distressing dreams of the trauma, acting or feeling like the traumatic event were recurring, significant psychological distress at exposure to things that are reminiscent of the trauma, physiological response to things reminiscent of the trauma, avoidance behaviors such as efforts to avoid, places, people, or activities that may remind one of the trauma, inability to recall parts of the trauma, restriction of one’s emotions, a sense that one may not live a long, successful life, a diminished interest in activities, feelings of detachment from others, difficulty with sleep, irritability of angry outbursts, and/or difficulty concentrating.

Whether suffering from PTSD or being close to someone who has PTSD can be challenging. Often loved ones do not know how to act or behave when someone has undergone significant trauma. Individuals with PTSD or PTSD symptoms can often have difficulty in their academic, occupational, and/or personal life. People at particular risk include survivors of military action, rescue workers, or someone who has experienced a personally devastating event such as a violent crime or natural disaster.

PSTD can be debilitating. It can be a chronic or an acute problem. The professional counselors at welisten2you can help you understand more about the aftermath of experiencing trauma. Our Care Counselors can help those suffering with the disorder to learn coping skills and behavioral techniques to work through issues surrounding the trauma. How can I talk  with a Care Counselor?