could_personal_crises.htm

The crisis was over months ago. You have survived the loss of a loved one, the natural disaster, the loss of your job or coming face-to-face with a major illness. Other people in the same situation as you seem to be moving on with their lives and putting behind them the fear, helplessness, anger, and dark memories.

But you cannot. The traumatic experience – which keeps playing over and over in your mind – seems like yesterday, instead of six months ago. At first, you thought everything was fine and you were getting back to normal. But gradually, life began to seem darker. Nothing is very satisfying or interesting. You get suddenly angry for reasons even you can’t understand. Decisions on even the smallest things are hard to make. Your productivity at work is down and your spouse keeps asking you what is wrong. You’re afraid you may be going insane.

It’s not insanity – it’s PTSD

Most likely, you are not going insane. Instead you may be suffering from a condition known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Once thought to result only from combat, torture, etc., PTSD has been recognized in victims of physical and sexual abuse, assault, violent crime, in people living in a home with domestic violence or in a gang neighborhood, and in survivors of car and plane crashes and of natural disasters.
In fact, professionals are realizing that PTSD is far more common than previously thought. Studies have shown that nearly half of the patients admitted to metropolitan emergency rooms probably suffer from PTSD, in addition to their physical injuries. Also, research estimates that about 16% of urban firefighters are at risk for developing PTSD at some point in their careers. In addition, mental health professionals and the medical community are beginning to believe that PTSD is widely under-reported.

Not all people who suffer traumatic stress or emotional and psychological trauma develop PTSD. Whether or not someone develops this condition in response to a crisis or tragedy depends on several factors, including the type of event, how seriously it affected the person and his or her life, the state of the person’s health at the time of the event, and previous experiences with stress, crises and tragedies. An actual physical injury does not need to take place for someone to develop PTSD. In fact, to some extent and in some ways, PTSD is a normal reaction to a very abnormal event.

PTSD is serious

PTSD has severe and long lasting effects on peoples’ lives. It interferes with work, your business, family relationships and daily functioning. People with PTSD tend to have more headaches, stomach and digestive problems, asthma or breathing problems, chest pains, and chronic pain. They also are more likely to suffer from depression, long-term anxiety, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. They tend to have problems with relationships, social interactions and keeping a job. People with PTSD often are in trouble with police and legal systems and behave in self-destructive ways. Substance abuse and suicide attempts also characterize PTSD sufferers. If you own a home-based business, PTSD could result in the failure of your business or that it never even gets off the ground.

Recognizing PTSD symptoms early

The earlier symptoms of PTSD can be recognized and treatment started, the less severe the effects, and the sooner recovery begins. One of the reasons PTSD often goes unrecognized in the early stages is that many of the PTSD symptoms are the same as normal crisis reactions and symptoms of traumatic stress and emotional and psychological trauma.

The big difference, though, between PTSD and the “normal” reaction to a crisis is time. By about a month after a traumatic event, the symptoms of traumatic stress and emotional and psychological trauma usually have begun to fade and the person is on the way toward regaining emotional and psychological balance.

However, people suffering from PTSD will have the same or higher level of intensity of symptoms a month or more later. In fact, symptoms of PTSD may not even appear until weeks, months or years after the traumatic event happened. As a result, many times the symptoms are not recognized as being connected to the event that started it all. Sometimes, the symptoms may seem to disappear, only to reappear later.

The American Counseling Association (http://www.counseling.org/) lists the following ways to recognize Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in yourself or someone else who has survived a crisis, loss or tragedy:

Re-experiencing the event in vivid detail through flashbacks or memories.

Feeling emotionally “numb.”

Feeling overwhelmed by everyday situations.

Crying uncontrollably.

Losing interest in normal tasks or activities or hobbies that used to be interesting and enjoyable.

Isolating from family and friends and avoiding social situations.

Relying on alcohol or drugs to get through the day.

Becoming increasingly moody, angry, irritable, suspicious or frightened; being easily startled and feeling always “on guard.”

Having sleep problems – difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, or sleeping too much; having nightmares.

Feeling guilty about surviving the tragedy and going on with your life. Feeling guilty about not being able to do anything to prevent the tragedy, change the situation or solve the problem.

Feeling fearful, depressed and having a sense of doom about the future.

What to do

PTSD generally does not go away by itself – the condition can last for years and even a lifetime. As soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War more than four decades ago are realizing, PTSD most often requires some form of treatment by a mental health professional. The good news is that PTSD can be effectively treated and the person can regain a normal life.

However, people very often do not seek treatment, even when the PTSD begins to interfere with their lives. Reasons often include the attitude that a person should “just get over it,” or should be able to solve their own problems. They may feel guilty or embarrassed about seeking help or may put the blame on someone else. Sometimes, the person just wants to avoid anything associated with the original trauma and won’t recognize how bad things have gotten.

There’s help out there

In addition to the professionals, many groups and organizations exist that provide information, resources and support for PTSD sufferers. A few of these are listed below.

National Center for PTSD;

Anxiety Disorders Association of America offers an overview of PTSD and a referral network of professional therapists;

PTSD Alliance has a lot of information on the myths about PTSD, causes, symptoms and resources for help.

REFERENCES (in addition to those listed above)

American Counseling Association. “Crisis Fact Sheet: 10 Ways to Recognize Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” 2002.

Jaffe, Jaelline & Segal, Jeanne. “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Symptoms, Types and Treatment.” May 5, 2004. Helpguide:

Mitchell, Jeffrey T., & Everly, Jr., George S. “Chapter 2 - The Nature of Human Stress” and “Chapter 3 – Psychotraumatology.” Critical Incident Stress Debriefing: An Operations Manual for CISD, Defusing and Other Group Crisis Intervention Services. 3rd Ed. 2001. Chevron Publishing Corporation, Ellicott City, Maryland.

Pat Dinslage is a freelance writer and staff writer for IAHBE. She has BA degree in Economics, BS degree in journalism and is currently completing a Master’s degree in career counseling. She has worked in business, government, agriculture and media, including a stint as a business reporter for a daily newspaper.