Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Usually occurring within a month of a traumatic event, though sometimes they may not appear for years, the symptoms of ptsd can be grouped into 4 different types of symptoms:

1. Intrusive Memories – this might include reliving the traumatic event, having upset ting dreams or nightmares about it, recurrent and distressing memories of the event.

2. Avoidance Behaviours – including avoiding going to the place it may have hap pened or talking to someone else who may have experienced it or remind you of the event. It may also include avoiding talking about the event at all.

3. Negative Thoughts and Moods – experiencing feelings of detachment from friends and family, having difficulty maintaining close relationships, feeling hopeless about the future and no longer interested in activities you once enjoyed.

Being overly alert and reactive – often involving being constantly aware of your surroundings and potential signs of danger, an inability to concentrate, easily startled and trouble sleeping.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can have many difficulties that can impact the day-to-day life of the sufferer. Along with reliving the trauma and living in a state of concern of further trauma, many people who experience PTSD can appear to be disinterested or distant to the people close to them. This can have an impact on work and close relationships with friends and family and is usually due to them trying to avoid thinking or feeling in an attempt to block painful memories. While it may help them suppress the memories of their trauma, it can feel as if they are pushing people away.

Often when someone experiences PTSD, they may also experience other mental health conditions. Most commonly conditions such as anxiety and depression can be experienced. The development of these conditions may be because of the traumatic event or have developed after the onset of PTSD.

While the cause of post traumatic stress disorder is in relation to a particularly traumatic experience, whether it is something that has been directly experienced by the person, or they have witnessed it.  However, not everyone will develop PTSD after a traumatic experience. Like many mental health conditions, it is thought that post traumatic stress may be caused by a combination of the below:

• Differences in brain chemistry and function
• Environmental factors including living in an abusive household or a warzone
• Genetics and family history of mental health problems including anxiety
• A family history of anxiety
• Excessive or recent exposure to stressful situations
• Learned behaviours and differences in way we perceive threats
• Our development and personality traits

While people of any age can experience PTSD, some things that may increase your risk of developing PTSD after a traumatic event include:

• Having experienced trauma or abuse at another point in life, potentially during childhood,
• Working in a field or industry that you may be exposed to experiencing or witnessing traumatic situations, such as ambulance officers and military personals
• Lack of support system, friends, and family
• The presence of other mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression
• Substance misuse
• Environmental factors, such as living in a warzone, or having experienced sexual abuse as a child

According to Beyond Blue, around 12% of Australians will experience PTSD in their lifetime. It can be experienced by people of any age, race, or gender.