We need to talk about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

What is it?
PTSD is a disorder that manifests after a traumatic event, resulting in memory impairment, flashbacks and many other physical and mental effects.

Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event.

Trigger is a psychological term to describe a prompt to the memory of this trauma that results in flashbacks.

Flashbacks are the re-experiencing of the traumatic event, this can be through visual, auditory, or emotional recollections.

PTSD symptoms
- Flashbacks
- Memory loss/problems
- Hypervigilance
- Avoiding anything that may remind them of the traumatic event
- Interruption of sleep cycles
- Self-blame or shame cycles that negatively impact self identity.

Fight, flight, freeze and fawn

Fight, flight and freeze are well-known responses to the event. These responses are related to the evolutionary survival instinct and the brain effectively “shutting off” parts of itself not needed in the moment.

Fawn is when the person tries to appease the person or circumstance in order to not be hurt. These responses can be reactionary, for prevention or happen in everyday life when triggered.

Most people with PTSD have adverse effects on their memory, either relating to the event or in their everyday life. There can be the over-remembering of the event in flashbacks, forgetting details of the event, everyday memory loss or other manifestations.

Not all traumatic events lead to PTSD. After a traumatic event, some people may experience symptoms severe enough to be categorized as PTSD. PTSD is when the traumatic stress has seriously impacted the person’s life to the point of it being a definable disorder.

Traumatic stress and PTSD are both serious afflictions and the continued effects can be extremely detrimental to those who experience it. We recommend contacting your doctor if you are still having traumatic stress more than four weeks after the event.

Go to
http://www.ptsduk.org/treatment-options/where-to-get-help/
for a list of alternate treatment services or centers for those in the UK.