Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a psychological trauma that can develop after a person has experienced or witnessed traumatic experiences.
PTSD symptoms usually begin within three months of the initial traumatic experience, but sometimes they may not surface until years later. Sometimes posttraumatic stress disorder creates other forms of mental health problems like dissociative disorders, personality disorders, as well as depression and anxiety.
Causes of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
A long traumatic experience or a very stressful, frightful, or upsetting incident can lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). About 1 in 3 individuals who endure extreme traumatic events acquire PTSD. Some people are single trauma victims, while others possess multiple traumas. However, some circumstances seem to increase certain people’s risk of PTSD with many distressing memories.
Traumatic events of the following types can result in PTSD:
- Serious Accidents
- Sexual,, emotional or physical abuse
- Maltreatment, whether domestic or childhood abuse
- Major health issues, Chronic and limiting conditions, Chronic pain. Lengthy or unexpected hospitalizations
- Miscarriages, death of a child
- The death of a close friend or relative
- Combat, warfare and torture
- Natural disasters
When to seek Medical Advice?
Within a traumatic occurrence, it’s common to have disturbing and perplexing thoughts and feelings, but for most individuals, these thoughts and feelings usually fade after a few weeks.
If you continue to experience distress four weeks after the event, or if the symptoms are very bothersome, you should see your doctor or therapist.
Your therapist will want to talk to you in as much detail as possible about your symptoms, to assess your current levels of distress in recalling the details of the event.
If your therapist thinks you would benefit from EMDR Therapy, they will recommend it and explain to you how it works and how it can help you.
Questions to ask your Therapist Before and After EMDR sessions:
- Why am I so tired after EMDR?
- Do you talk during EMDR?
- Is it normal to feel anxious after EMDR?
- Can EMDR make things worse?
- How do I know if the EMDR is working?
- How many EMDR session do you need?
