Post Traumatic Stress


What is Post Traumatic Stress?

A collection of reactions, feelings, thoughts, behaviour that are experienced following a sudden distressing event which is outside the range of normal everyday life. It is the unexpectedness of the incident which seems to evoke the stress because it undermines a person’s trust in normality. Incidents that can sometimes lead to signs of PTSD include such things as burglary, an attack, bereavement, divorce or an accident.

When does it occur and to whom?

Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress may not appear for days, weeks or months after the event, and can affect those not directly involved in an incident - e.g. those who witness an accident, or rescue workers, or relatives of those involved. Symptoms include:

  • Recurrent intrusive thoughts and recollections of the event
  • Changes in sleep pattern (not wanting to sleep or wanting to sleep all the time)
  • Vivid dreams of the event
  • Behaving as if the event is happening again
  • Changes in self-esteem (e.g. feeling useless)
  • Numbed responses to events that would normally evoke a reaction
  • Poor concentration
  • Reduced interest in the external world (feelings of detachment)
  • A sense of needing to be ultra-alert
  • A sense of being vulnerable
  • Fear of losing control
  • Avoidance of places or activities that remind you of the event
  • Forgetting important parts of the event
  • Guilt of surviving or for not doing things that might have prevented the event

When should you seek help?

If you feel disturbed by intense feelings or body sensations that you are finding hard to cope with

If you think that your emotions are not falling into place, and that you feel very tense, confused, empty, or exhausted

If you feel you have to keep active in order not to feel distressed

If you have continuing nightmares and/or poor sleep

If you have nobody to talk to about your feelings and you wish to talk to someone

If your relationships seem to be suffering or sexual problems develop

If you smoke, drink or take medication to excess since the event

If your work performance suffers

If you cannot stop thinking about the event.