• War
• Natural disasters
• Car or plane crashes
• Terrorist attacks
• Sudden death of a loved one
• Rape
• Kidnapping
• Assault
• Sexual or physical abuse
• Childhood neglect
• Any shattering even that leaves you stuck and feeling helpless and hopeless

The traumatic events that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder are usually so overwhelming and frightening that they would upset anyone.  Following a traumatic event, almost everyone experiences at least some of the symptoms of PTSD.  When your sense of safety and trust are shattered, it's normal to feel crazy, disconnected, or numb.  It's very common to have bad dreams, feel fearful, and find it difficult to stop thinking about what happened.  These are normal reactions to abnormal events.  For most people, however, these symptoms are short-lived.  They may last for several days or even weeks, but they gradually lift.  But if you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the symptoms don't decrease.  You don't feel a little better each day.  In fact, you may start to feel worse.

Signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 

The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can arise suddenly, gradually, or come and go over time.  Sometimes symptoms appear seemingly out of the blue.  At other times, they are triggered by something that reminds you of the original traumatic event, such as a noise, an image, certain words, or a smell. 

While everyone experiences PTSD differently, there are three main types of symptoms:

1. Re-experiencing the traumatic event
2. Avoiding reminders of the trauma
3. Increased anxiety and emotional arousal

Re-experiencing the traumatic event

• Intrusive, upsetting memories of the event
• Flashbacks - acting or feeling like the event is happening again
• Nightmares - either of the event or of other frightening things
• Feelings of intense distress when reminded of the trauma
• Intense physical reactions to reminders of the event (e.g. pounding heart, rapid breathing etc)

Avoidance and numbing

• Avoiding activities, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind you of the trauma
• Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma
• Loss of interest in activities and life in general
• Feeling detached from others and emotionally numb
• Sense of a limited future (you don't expect to live a normal life span, get married, etc)

Increased anxiety and emotional arousal

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Irritability or outbursts of anger
• Difficulty concentrating
• Hypervigilance (on constant "red alert")
• Feeling jumpy and easily startled

Treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

The sooner PTSD is confronted, the easier it is to overcome.  If you're reluctant to seek help, keep in mind that PTSD is not a sign of weakness, and the only way to overcome it is to confront what happened to you and learn to accept it as a part of your past.  This process is much easier with the guidance and support of an experienced therapist. 

It's only natural to want to avoid painful memories and feelings.  But if you try to numb yourself and push your memories away, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will only get worse.  You can't escape your emotions completely - they emerge under stress or whenever you let down your guard and trying to do so is exhausting.  The avoidance will ultimately harm your relationships, your ability to function, and the quality of your life.

Treatment for PTSD relieves symptoms by helping you deal with the trauma you've experienced.  Rather than avoiding the trauma and any reminder of it, treatment will encourage you to recall and process the emotions and sensations you felt during the original event.  In addition to offering an outlet for emotions you've been bottling up, treatment for PTSD will also help restore your sense of control and reduce the powerful hold the memory of the trauma has on your life.

• Explore your thoughts and feelings about the trauma
• Work through feelings of guilt, self-blame, and mistrust
• Learn how to cope with and control intrusive memories
• Address problems PTSD has caused in your life and relationships

Types of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy:  Cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD and trauma involves carefully and gradually "exposing" yourself to thoughts, feelings, and situations that remind you of the trauma.  Therapy also involves identifying upsetting thoughts about the traumatic event-particularly thoughts that are distorted and irrational - and replacing them with more balanced picture.

• Family Therapy: Since PTSD affects both you and those close to you, family therapy can be especially productive.  Family therapy can help your loved ones understand what you're going through.  It can also help everyone in the family communicate better and work through relationship problems caused by PTSD symptoms.

• Medication: Sometimes medication is prescribed to people with PTSD to relieve secondary symptoms of depression or anxiety.  While antidepressants may help you feel less sad, worried, or on edge, they do not treat the causes of PTSD.

• EMDR: (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic, left-right stimulation, such as hand taps or sounds.  Eye movements and other bilateral forms of stimulation are thought to work by "unfreezing" the brain's information processing system, which is interrupted in times of extreme stress.

Recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a gradual, ongoing process.  Healing doesn't happen overnight, nor do the memories of the trauma ever disappear completely.  This can make life seem difficult at times.  Therapy can help to reduce or eliminate symptoms of PTSD and restore your sense of control while reducing the powerful hold the memory of the trauma has on your life.