June is PTSD Awareness Month. Let's talk about it. Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. Some factors can increase the chance that someone will have PTSD, many of which are not under that person's control. For example, having a very intense or long-lasting traumatic event or getting injured during the event can make it more likely that a person will develop PTSD. PTSD is also more common after certain types of trauma, like combat and sexual assault. PTSD symptoms usually start soon after the traumatic event, but they may not appear until months or years later. They also may come and go over many years. If the symptoms last longer than 4 weeks, cause you great distress, or interfere with your work or home life, you might have PTSD. Reliving the event (also called re-experiencing symptoms). Memories of the traumatic event can come back at any time. They can feel very real and scary. Having more negative thoughts and feelings than before the event. The way you think about yourself and others may become more negative because of the trauma. Feeling on edge or keyed up (also called hyperarousal). You may be jittery, or always alert and on the lookout for danger. You might suddenly become angry or irritable. Avoiding things that remind you of the event. You may try to avoid situations or people remind you of the trauma event. You may even avoid talking or thinking about the event. "Getting better" means different things for different people. There are treatment options for PTSD. For many people, these treatments can get rid of symptoms altogether. Others find they have fewer symptoms or feel that their symptoms are less intense. Your symptoms don't have to interfere with your everyday activities and relationships. A few trauma-focused psychotherapies are the most highly recommended treatments for PTSD. "Trauma-focused" means that the therapy focuses on the memory of the traumatic event or its meaning. The 3 most effective types of trauma-focused psychotherapy are: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): Where you learn skills to understand how trauma changed your thoughts and feelings. Changing how you think about the trauma can change how you feel. Prolonged Exposure (PE): Where you talk about your trauma repeatedly until memories are no longer upsetting. This will help you get more control over your thoughts and feelings about the trauma. You also go to places or do things that are safe, but that you have been staying away from because they remind you of the trauma. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Which involves focusing on sounds or hand movements while you talk about the trauma. This helps your brain work through the traumatic memories. Help Raise PTSD Awareness. Read more at ptsd.va.gov #UNFPsychology #PTSDAwareness #Psychology
-
+1