More about trauma – PTSD and Chronic Traumatisation
1. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Usually the mind/body system processes and integrates life's experiences, whatever comes along. The mind has a tendency towards healthy self-organisation of experience.
Occasionally this self-healing mechanism is overwhelmed, and the disturbing experiences that have led to that overwhelm are stored in a dysfunctional way. It is as if they are frozen in time and have a life of their own causing various symptoms that are either there all the time or can easily be triggered by reminders of the experience. The day-to-day part of the self attempting to get on with life as normal, tries to prevent the resulting disturbing intrusions into consciousness from occurring by avoiding thinking about it, or by avoiding being in similar situations. For instance, someone who may have had an accident while driving, may make long detours to avoid driving in the place where the accident happened.
1. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Usually the mind/body system processes and integrates life's experiences, whatever comes along. The mind has a tendency towards healthy self-
Occasionally this self-
What is post traumatic stress disorder?
Post traumatic stress is a natural human reaction to extreme stress. A traumatic event is a shock to the whole body/mind system which can overwhelm the mind's processing system, leaving the symptoms unresolved and as if they are fixed in time. It can be very incapacitating and distressing. Developing symptoms of PTSD can happen to anyone, but fortunately there are very effective treatments available now which enable the mind's natural healing processing of the event to take place and then eliminate the symptoms, usually completely.
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a characteristic set of symptoms and for the diagnosis of PTSD, the symptoms will have lasted for over one month..
Post traumatic stress is a natural human reaction to extreme stress. A traumatic event is a shock to the whole body/mind system which can overwhelm the mind's processing system, leaving the symptoms unresolved and as if they are fixed in time. It can be very incapacitating and distressing. Developing symptoms of PTSD can happen to anyone, but fortunately there are very effective treatments available now which enable the mind's natural healing processing of the event to take place and then eliminate the symptoms, usually completely.
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a characteristic set of symptoms and for the diagnosis of PTSD, the symptoms will have lasted for over one month..
An example of the effects of a trauma that has not settled by itself.
Mr Hope was driving his car on his usual route to work, when a car suddenly coming out of a side turning without stopping crashed into his near-side, causing a violent jolt to his body as well as severe damage to his car. The accident happened a year ago, and Mr Hope feels that he has life has changed severely for the worse since then.
He continues to have severe pain in his neck and shoulder despite having medical investigations which failed to show signs of an injury, and having physiotherapy for three months. He copes by taking large quantities of pain killers.
He finds himself snappy and irritable with his family and work colleagues.
He does not sleep well any more, and finds it hard to relax in any situation.
He has an ongoing sense that something bad is going to happen, feeling jittery or agitated
He has lost his motivation and enjoyment of life, is not interested in watching football or going out with his mates, instead drinking on his own at home.
He feels isolated and a bit unreal.
He refuses to talk about the accident and has found reminders of it, even such as dealing with insurance claim forms extremely stressful.
He sometimes has flashbacks of the accident.
He has found another route to work so he can avoid the place where the accident happened but even so, jumps a mile when he sees a car approaching a junction just as he is about to drive past it.
Mr Hope's symptoms indicate that he has post traumatic stress disorder. It is also quite likely that the physical pain that is not getting any better is a 'frozen in time' non-