Symptoms of PTSD. What are they?
You may be experiencing PTSD symptoms if you have some or all of the symptom clusters listed below. PTSD symptoms can be overwhelming and restrict your life in ways that stunt your growth and success in life. The good news is that PTSD trauma can be overcome if you work with a skilled doctor that understands evidence-based treatments that work. PTSD treatment is available in Jacksonville and the surrounding areas.
PTSD Causes Isolation
Symptoms of PTSD are split into four groups:
• Re-experiencing symptoms: Memories of the trauma play over and over in your mind. The memories can be re-experienced as images of what happened, sounds, smells, tastes, or body sensations associated with the trauma. It can feel as though the events are happening again.
• Arousal symptoms: You can be ‘on edge’ or ‘on guard’ following a trauma. Many people find it very difficult to relax, and find that their sleep is affected.
• Avoidance symptoms: It is normal to avoid physical or emotional pain. People who have had trauma often try to avoid any people, places, or other reminders of their trauma.
• Negative thoughts and mood: Trauma can have a powerful effect on how we view the world. People begin to see the world as a more dangerous place, lack trust in others, have difficulty with intimacy and often suffer low self-esteem.
Does everyone develop PTSD?
It is very common to feel vulnerable, shocked or ‘shaken up’ following a trauma. This is called an Acute Stress Reaction. But, if symptoms persist then the person is said to have PTSD.
What keeps PTSD going?
With PTSD memories of the trauma keep coming back to bother us because they are ‘unprocessed’. The trauma experience was so overwhelming that the brain was unable to store the memories properly at the time. They keep reappearing in the form of nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts because they have not been properly stored in long-term memory.
The way we try to cope with symptoms can have unintended consequences. Trying too hard to avoid parts of life can mean that we live a restricted existence which can have a dramatic effect on how we feel. We can become ‘stuck’.
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How Can I Overcome My Trauma?
Professional treatment for trauma often happens in stages:
• The first stage is about ‘stabilization’ – feeling ‘safe enough’. This stage can include learning about PTSD, and learning grounding techniques to cope with the symptoms. This is something that you can begin to do on your own. In counseling, it is important that you build trust and become comfortable sharing your concerns with the doctor.
• The second stage is about making sense of what happened to you. This can involve talking about what happened and understanding how the events affected you. Evidence-based treatments at this stage can be provided a docotr skilled in trauma treatment. I have helped many people overcome the bonds of PTSD that restrict your life and happiness.
• The third stage is about reclaiming your life because trauma makes us live a shadow of our former lives. Once the major symptoms of are resolved we need to claim back the lives that we want to lead. Here at Fearless Mind we have helped many people reclaim their lives and feel freer and more well.
Learn more about PTSD treatment here.
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