Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Traumatic events can affect a person’s psychological health in a number of ways. Most people who experience trauma will have some kind of psychological reaction, such as fear, sadness, guilt or anger but will often find that these reactions improve over time. However, some people will go on to develop a more severe reaction, called PTSD, which can seriously disrupt their lives.

Individuals with PTSD may experience the following symptoms:

• unwanted memories and images of the traumatic event
• nightmares
• a high level of distress when they are reminded of the trauma
• jumpiness or feeling constantly “on guard”
• poor sleep
• greater irritability or snappiness than usual
• problems with concentration
• a desire to avoid situations or activities that remind them of the trauma
• a desire to avoid thinking about or talking about the trauma
• feeling numb
• feeling fearful for the future
• losing interest in activities that were previously enjoyed

People with PTSD require professional treatment. Untreated, PTSD can become a chronic and debilitating disorder, so it is important that effective treatment is obtained as soon as possible. There are effective treatments available for PTSD. More information about our treatments for PTSD can be found here.