Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that afflicts some individuals following severe or chronic trauma. Such trauma may be experienced or witnessed and is predominantly life threatening. A physician or psychiatrist can diagnosis PTSD and offer treatment, enabling some patients to recover or improve. Read on for ways to help you identify PTSD symptoms and signs that may require further medical consultation.
Instructions
1. Look for a history of exposure to extreme violence, life-threatening experiences, or severe abuse that directly affected the individual—either as a victim or witness.
2. Identify hallmark PTSD symptoms, such as significant fear that is out of proportion or unrelated to present danger. Individuals may have a vague or distinct fear of being harmed or in some cases will relive the trauma in the form of hallucinations. Look for an overactive response that may occur with or without a pattern--such as limited to certain environments or when sudden noise occurs.
3. Keep track of substantial sleep difficulties, repeated dreams or nightmares that cause distress. Help a physician better identify PTSD by keeping a dream diary by the bedside. Make notes of dreams and nightmares.
4. Recognize that PTSD may be masked and misjudged as another behavioral, personality or mental disorder. Some individuals do not remember the trauma, but may avoid certain situations that resemble the environment and/or feel a sense of numbness and detachment from others.
5. Consider rage, increased irritability, depression and/or panic attacks as part of the PTSD spectrum. Like other PTSD symptoms, other explanations may be responsible, but are commonly found among PTSD sufferers.
6. Seek a physician consultation to identify PTSD or rule out other causes for symptoms. Obtain a referral to a specialist as needed. Consult the Anxiety Disorder Association of America, (877) 507-PTSD, for more information.
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