Reliving the Past: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Common among war veterans, rape victims, and others who can experienced terrifying events, post-traumatic stress disorder is a conditions that is characterized by the gripping fear persistent due to flashback thoughts of an ordeal. Post-traumatic stress disorder, also called PTSD can hurt a person’s work, social, and family lives.

There are a number of horrible events that could cause one to experience PTSD symptoms. Besides those listed above, these include: child abuse, violent attacks, threats, natural disasters, and accidents. In any cause, there is usually a sense of helplessness and tragic danger. However simply witnessing a horrible event can cause PTSD.

PTSD has a number of distinct symptoms that can help you diagnoses your own condition. There include nightmares about the event, avoidance of thoughts or feelings, difficulty remembering the experience, irritability, difficulty concentrating, emotional drain, guilt, feelings of distance from friends and family. Having one or two of these symptoms does not mean you’re suffering from PTSD, and not everyone experiencing an event will develop this anxiety disorder. Generally, you should see a doctor is these symptoms last after one month.

Treatment for PTSD is very important because the disorder can cause you to miss work or school and have trouble socializing. Having PTSD is nothing to be ashamed of—over 5 million America adults alone say they have this disorder. PTSD affects anyone, regardless of age, race, economic status, religion, or gender, although more women than men tend to have PTSD. When something tragic happens in your life and you can’t move on, PTSD is a likely disorder to develop, no matter who you are or what you look like.

Thankfully, there are a few ways to treat PTSD. Therapy is a very good way to talk about your problems, and it can also help you from experiencing PTSD from the beginning. Remember to tell you therapist the truth about everything and ask for advice whenever you feel like you need it to avoid never-wracking situations, like panic disorders or flashbacks.                            

Medication is also possible to help people deal with PTSD. If PTSD is left untreated, the results could be other anxiety disorders, depression, sleeping problems, substance abuse, and a lowered immune system. You can win the fight against PTSD! Treatment in all forms is available to help you move on with your life or find closure. Talk to you doctor today if you’ve concerned about yourself developing PTSD. 

Panic Disorders: Are They Real?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of people having a panic attack and someone saying that they just wanted attention. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While a panic attack is not the same as some traditional medical conditions, it is both a mental and physical disorder that must be taken very seriously. If you suffer from panic attacks, see a doctor immediately to get you condition under control.

As classified by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), panic disorders are technically under the umbrella of anxiety disorders. Other anxiety disorders include social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and agoraphobia, among other conditions. Over 20 million people in the United States alone suffer some kind of anxiety disorder or another.

Panic disorder is characterized by reoccurring panic attacks that often happen spontaneously and unexpectedly. A panic attack is an intense feeling of irrational fear that lasts over a period of time. Some symptoms of a panic attack may or may not include a pounding heart, chest pains, sweating, difficulty breathing, the fear of going crazy, shaking, cold or hot flashed, the choking sensation, and nausea. One panic attack doe not mean you should be diagnosed with panic disorder, but if this condition occurs a number of times and interrupts your life, you should see a doctor immediately.

Most people experience the unpleasantness of a panic attack at some point or other in their lives. While this may be a scary experience, you should generally not be concerned unless the month following the panic attack leads to constant worry about have another panic attack, constant worry about a condition that could be related to the attack, or major changes in your lifestyle.

When you have a panic attack, even for the first time, see a doctor. Try to clearly think about the symptoms you’ve experienced and note the time and length of the attack. This information will help your doctor find the best treatment options available for you. Often, panic attacks occur simultaneously with other anxiety disorders, so being clear about your experiences will help your doctor to understand your experiences.

Remember, panic attacks are real. While there may be a few cases where people pretend to have attacks to get attention or for other reasons, this is not the norm. If someone around you is experiencing a panic attack, offer your help and call a doctor immediately to get help for the person.