Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Should Not Be Ignored

Ptsd or post traumatic stress disorder is a serious illness that is listed in the APA manual for mental disorders

. Though in the past people would advise others to toughen up and not be effected by their negative past experiences, this often is not the answer. Trauma from war, physical abuse, rape, death of a parent or bullying can effect one for many years. You can't just apply will power to conquer it.

It is considered an anxiety disorder in the DSM IV manual and can manifest as nightmares, social withdrawal, trembling, staying in one's room, unpredictable crying bouts and stomach pains. Sometimes a trauma will be remembered during psychotherapy sessions. This can happen if one was molested by a parent, relative or neighbor and the memory was suppressed to deal with daily life. When the recollections of the past occur, this can be very disconcerting and may create problems in one's marriage and family life. It takes time to process heavy emotions from the past and be able to trust and feel intimate with people in your present life if you were an abuse victim.

There are some studies that say one out of six returning from war in Iraq have ptsd. There is treatment available at va clinics and community mental health programs. Many soldiers feel that others can't understand their pain as they weren't in the same predicament. A trained counselor is helpful for re-adjusting to civilian life even if they weren't in war themselves.

If you know someone who seems to have had a trauma in their past, encourage them to seek help and show support for the various emotions of avoidance, anger outbursts and isolation that the person may be experiencing. Group counseling is another modality that can be helpful.

Over the years there have been various names for what is now termed ptsd. For instance, in past the phrase combat fatigue was used for world war one times. During world war two the terms gross stress reaction as well as battle fatigue were used. Sadly, many people were told to just buckle up and use more resolve to deal with the negative emotions. Being able to show emotions is important in order to feel better and restore one's sense of normalcy.

Post traumatic stress disorder can be felt by one's family members strongly as mood swings occur and sometimes physical symptoms requiring bed rest. Getting counseling support is very helpful to heal and be able to get rid of the guilt and accompanying emotions.

by: Deb Cohen

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