Trauma is more common than you think, with huge effects that can last a lifetime. There are a lot of common questions individuals need to ask about PTSD. With a few answers, you’ll be one step closer to getting the right help.
1. What Is PTSD?
PTSD is a mental health condition that gets triggered after going through a traumatic event. Millions suffer daily from this condition, but have found peace with the help of PTSD treatment.
2. What Are the Symptoms?
Common symptoms are irritability, guilt, trouble sleeping, self-destructive behavior and paranoia. This only covers some of the physical and emotional changes, and in truth, the list is unique to each suffering individual. The same type of trauma will affect people in a completely different way.
3. How Is It Diagnosed?
A PTSD diagnosis can be accurately diagnosed after a specified time of recurring symptoms. By using the Davidson Trauma Scale, both the severity and frequency of PTSD can be put on full display.
4. Does Talking Help?
Yes, and has been a starting point for many victims. PTSD is not an illness that can be resolved by taking over the counter medicine. The more you open up about the trauma, the better your treatment will become.
5. What Are the Treatment Options?
Talking therapy and medicine are the most popular options for treating PTSD. But it is important to note that the medicine is not the actual treatment. Therapy is all but mandatory in order to move on from the trauma that led to PTSD.
6. Who Develops PTSD?
A common misconception is that veterans are the main contributors to PTSD statistics. Children, teens and even young adults suffer from PTSD. Trauma is not age dependent and can happen at anytime in life.
7. What Is CPTSD?
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder comes from long-term trauma. The stress responses are much more severe, with flashbacks and nightmares hindering daily activities. Anyone exposed to chronic trauma should seek immediate help to relieve the symptoms.
8. Does PTSD Last a Lifetime?
No one has the same type of PTSD or the same recovery time. Some people recover within six months, others within a year. For severe cases, it may be a lifetime of careful management to keep the symptoms under control. Trying to predict your outcome without a proper diagnosis will only cause unneeded stress to the entire situation.
9. Are There Any Initial Signs?
The first signs of PTSD will take control of your mood and cognition. What seems like a normal bad day turns into an unpredictable routine where your emotions feel out of sync. Over time, this out of sync swing will feel like a normal occurrence. But to the outside world that experiences it, you will become the person that is always on edge.
10. Will You Lose Your Job?
PTSD is covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is illegal to discriminate against an employee that is suffering from PTSD. It is also illegal to use PTSD as an excuse to demote, terminate or otherwise antagonize the employee.
Knowledge Is Power
Sticking your head in the sand about the condition will not make it go away. PTSD is serious enough to always warrant a professional opinion. When you understand the trauma, it will have less of an effect over your mental and physical wellbeing.
