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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the family

Regions of the brain affected by PTSD and stress.Image via Wikipedia There are events in life that can traumatize a person to a degree that they become ill from the event. Experiencing multiple traumatic events over a series of days, weeks, months and years can lead to a disorder called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. How each person copes with trauma may vary greatly.
Symptoms of PTSD are as follows :
  • Flashbacks, where the event seems to be happening again and again
  • Reliving the memory or event to the point it interferes with day to day life
  • Distressing memories of the event
  • Repeated dreams of the event
  • Having a physical reaction to situations that remind you of the traumatic event
  • Emotional "numbing," often used as a defense mechanism to protect oneself
  • Feelings of detachment
  • Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma or blocking out
  • Lack of interest in normal activities
  • Moods that are flat and expressionless
  • Avoiding places, people, or objects that remind you of the trauma.
  • Sense of having no future or nothing to look forward to
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Exaggerated response to things that startle you, example: a phone ringing, or a person gasping
  • Excess awareness (hypervigilance)
  • Irritability or outbursts of anger
  • Sleeping difficulties
You may experience "survivor guilt" if your trauma relates to the death of someone you were close to, and the following symptoms, which are typical of anxiety, stress, and tension are listed here:
  • Agitation, or excitability
  • Dizziness
  • Fainting
  • Feeling your heart beat in your chest, sudden bodily temperature changes and sweating, panic attacks
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Paleness

How can family members help each other when they are experiencing PTSD?
If all experience some level of the disorder they must encourage professional help, especially if they recognize the symptoms. Do not rely on family members to “help” each other with the trauma, as it is impossible to be a means of support when you all may be suffering from the trauma. Each must seek individual help as each may have different levels and extremes of the disorder. Give your family member space and let them heal.
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