PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a severe and common mental health condition that can negatively toll a person’s life. It is a mental health condition triggered by either experiencing or witnessing a terrifying or traumatic event.
People affected by PTSD have flashbacks and nightmares about their trauma, and they are burdened by severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts.
PTSD is common in veterans and people who have survived traumatic events such as an abduction, se*ual abuse, or any other kind of hostile encounter. However, there is still a lack of awareness about this condition.
This is why many people with PTSD can’t take care of themselves, and others have difficulty understanding their condition. Therefore, today I will tell you the ten most important things that you need to know about PTSD.
What are the symptoms of PTSD?
First of all, you must know the symptoms of PTSD to recognize the problem in yourself or the people around you.
Generally, the symptoms of PTSD can be grouped into four categories; avoidance, intrusive memories, negative thought patterns, and a change in emotional and physical reactions. The symptoms are different for different people, but in general, they may include:
- Flashbacks and Nightmares
- Constantly feeling on edge
- Anger
- Sleep disturbances
- Physical signs of stress and tensions, like muscle tension and a racing heartbeat
- A constant feeling of loneliness and abandonment
PTSD may show its symptoms after a long time:
PTSD is a complicated disorder, and it affects people in different ways. Though most of the time, the symptoms of PTSD start to show within a month of the traumatic event, sometimes it can take years for them to come up.
Often, people have repressed memories of traumatic events, and when these memories start to come up, they can cause PTSD. Sometimes, people are affected by PTSD even years after a traumatic event.
Therefore, it is important to treat PTSD patients, and if you are starting to feel overly anxious about past trauma and can’t seem to get it out of your mind, you should look for treatments.
What are the triggers of PTSD?
When a person has PTSD, even small things can trigger a negative response. Small things can startle these people and remind them about their trauma, which can be challenging for them to deal with.
Therefore, it is important to know the common triggers so that you can avoid them; here are some things that could trigger severe episodes of anxiousness, panic attacks, or outbursts of anger in people with PTSD.
- Loud noises
- Difficult arguments
- Daily stressors
- Insensitive questions about their mental trauma
- Insensitive stories on media
How to cope with PTSD naturally:
When it comes to coping with PTSD, many people turn to the wrong solutions; for instance, they could start drinking excessively or turn to hard drugs.
This can be quite devastating and self-destructive. Though alcohol may make you forget about your problems for a while, the hangover is going to be way worse. Apart from the back-breaking stress, you now also have to deal with the regret of drinking and things you said or did while drunk.
However, there are ways in which you can cope with PTSD naturally. It would help if you tried using cannabis, which has a lot of incredible medical benefits. Weed can also help you combat stress and anxiety by causing pleasure hormones to be released in your body.
Therefore, consider buying cannabis concentrates in Canada to get instant and side effects, free from stress and anxiety caused due to PTSD.
Experiencing PTSD doesn’t mean that you are weak:
Many people, especially veterans, are ashamed to admit that they have PTSD because they think they will be perceived as weak. However, it is important to understand that innate biological and physiological mechanisms cause PTSD, and it has nothing to do with character weakness.
Emotional support is very important:
People with PTSD tend to seem lonely and abandoned because the people around them can truly understand their trauma. This is right to some extent, and it is quite difficult to understand what PTSD patients are going through truly. For instance, it may be very difficult for civilians to understand the trauma of veterans.
However, emotional support is still paramount in treating PTSD, and one of the best ways to find emotional support is to attend a support group.
In a support group, you can find people going through the same problems you are. They have experienced similar traumas and dealt with the stress and anxiety that comes with it.
Therefore, these people can help you combat PTSD and truly understand that you are going through. Finding the right support group can do wonders in the treatment of PTSD.
How can PTSD be treated permanently:
Though several ways aid the treatment of PTSD, there is only one way to treat it permanently, and that is talking to a professional psychotherapist. Conversational therapy is the only way to analyze and treat the negative thought patterns and traumas associated with PTSD.
Therapy allows patients to face their fears and understands that they are in the past. It helps them form a positive outlook towards the future and get rid of PTSD once and for all.
Therefore, if you or anyone else around you has PTSD, you should seek the assistance of a professional therapist as soon as possible.
PTSD can increase the risk of other mental disorders:
Several studies have shown that PTSD can also increase the risk of other mental disorders like depression and alcohol abuse. PTSD can cause severe anxiety and panic attacks, and when it remains unchecked, it can even lead to devastating mental disorders like depression.
Therefore, it is important to treat PTSD before it leads to more challenging problems.
It would help if you were careful with medications:
Most people have to use anti-anxiety medications to function normally when they are dealing with PTSD. However, it is important to know that these medications have severe; side effects and patients can even develop a dependency on them, which hinders their treatment.
Therefore, it is very important to prevent the abuse of prescription medications, and you should only use them when necessary.
Defeating PTSD leads to emotional growth:
PTSD can be quite devastating; however, people who can defeat PTSD become emotionally stronger and more resilient if you look at it from a positive aspect.
People often develop a stronger appreciation of life and an increased sense of self-belief and personal strength.
