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10/ accessHealthnews.net Spring 2013 Mental Health: PTSD A Q&A with Pathways' Theresa Presley By Tonia Wright Wright: How common is it for victims of domestic abuse to suffer from PTSD? Wright: What is PTSD? Presley: Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that some people get after seeing or living through a dangerous event. When we are in danger, it is natural to feel afraid. This fear triggers a response called 'fight or flight' which is a healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm. But in PTSD, this reaction doesn't go away over time and it disrupts a person's life. The traumatic events that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder are usually so overwhelming and frightening that they would upset anyone. 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 posttraumatic 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. Wright: What does PTSD look like? Presley: PTSD can cause many symptoms. These symptoms are grouped into three categories: re-experiencing symptoms; avoidance symptoms; and hyperarousal symptoms. The first category, re-experiencing, is reliving the event. Memories of the trauma can come back at Presley: It is estimated that around 20 percent of people experiencing traumatic events such as physical or sexual assault may develop PTSD. The extent of PTSD varies from person to person and can occur while still in the abusive relationship or after it has ended, can last only a short time or can remain for years. In many cases, it is recommended to seek help from a therapist to come to terms with the events which lead to PTSD and explore any time. You may feel the same ways to either lessen them or fear and horror you did when their impact. the event took place. You may have nightmares or feel like Wright: How does it affect you're going through it again. employment, child-rearing and This is called a flashback. A relationships? flashback can include physical symptoms like a racing heart or Presley: PTSD can make sweating. Sometimes there is a somebody hard to be with. trigger that causes someone to Living with someone who is re-experience an event. It could easily startled, has nightmares be a word, an object, a smell, or and often avoids social seeing someone who reminds situations can take a toll on the you of the trauma. most caring family. PTSD symptoms can have a The second category is devastating impact on avoidance symptoms. Things employment, parenting and that remind a person of the family relationships. The retraumatic event can trigger experiencing symptoms that avoidance symptoms. Avoidance individuals with PTSD symptoms include: staying away experience can be frightening from places, events, or objects not only for the individual that are reminders of the experiencing them but also for experience; feeling emotionally the family that is witnessing numb; feeling strong guilt, them. depression or worry; losing interest in activities that were Children especially do not enjoyable in the past and having understand what is happening trouble remembering the or why and can worry about dangerous event. their caregiver. The avoidance symptoms cause the individual These symptoms may cause a with PTSD to not want to go person to change his or her places such as stores, movies or personal routine. For example, out to dinner. Children may feel after a bad car accident, a that their parent does not care person who usually drives may about them when the reality is avoid driving or riding in a car. that the parent is avoiding places that are just too The third category is frightening. Due to these hyperarousal symptoms. Feeling avoidance behaviors, PTSD 'keyed up' is hyperarousal. You sufferers can feel cut off from may be jittery or always on the family members. Children can alert and on the lookout for inaccurately interpret this as the danger. You might suddenly parent not being interested in become angry or irritable. Some them or loving them. Finally, the examples of hyperarousal hyperarousal symptoms can include: you may want to have make a parent with PTSD be your back to a wall in a more overprotective. Irritability restaurant or waiting room; a and low frustration tolerance loud noise can startle you easily; can make a parent seem hostile and if someone bumps into you, or distant, again making you might fly into a rage. These children question the parent's symptoms are usually constant. love for them. This is a mis- understanding about the reasons behind the symptoms. The symptoms of PTSD can interfere with trust, emotional closeness, communication and effective problem solving, impacting all areas of an individual's life. Wright: Can PTSD be a precursor for substance abuse? Presley: Some people with PTSD try to deal with their symptoms this way. We do not like to feel pain. Alcohol and drugs can be an appealing alternative to living with that pain. Taking alcohol or drugs to deal with stressful emotions is called self-medication. Using alcohol and drugs can even make your PTSD symptoms worse. Not everyone with PTSD has a problem with drinking or using drugs. Sometimes this happens so slowly that you don't even notice that it has become a problem. If you feel you are drinking or using drugs because of PTSD, be sure to tell the people that are helping you; talk to your doctor; call an alcohol or drug treatment program; and talk to your family or friend. Wright: How can family and friends show support? Presley: To help a friend or relative, you can offer emotional support, patience and encouragement. Getting better takes time. A person with PTSD may need to talk about the traumatic event over and over again. This is part of the healing process. Learn about PTSD so you can understand what your loved one is experiencing. Listen to feelings your loved one is expressing and be understanding of situations that may trigger PTSD symptoms. Don't take the symptoms of PTSD personally. Common symptoms of PTSD include emotional numbness, anger and withdrawal. If your loved one seems distant, irritable or closed off, remember that this may not have anything to do with you or your relationship. Never ignore comments from your loved one about harming him or herself, and report such comments to a therapist or doctor. Theresa Presley, MSW, LCSW, RPT, CTS, is the community services director at Pathways Community Health

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