People react to stressful situations in different ways. Sometimes when you have experienced a traumatic event you could have a very strong reaction like fear, horror, anger, sadness and hopelessness; and this is quite a normal and natural reaction. This could be after a serious accident, assault, war and exposure to a natural disaster or even vicariously through someone you know who has had the experience. Though such strong feelings often naturally pass after a period of time, if they go on for more than four weeks or are intensely distressing and disrupt your life, you could possibly have Post Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is estimated that approximately 25% of people exposed to a traumatic situation go on to develop traumatic situation go on to develop. If you or your loved one have indeed experienced this it is important to seek help from a health professional and understand what you are going through.
Post Traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a stress related condition, which consists of a cluster of anxiety linked symptoms and develops after exposure to a traumatic situation.
The main groups of symptoms in PTSD are:
- Flashbacks of the traumatic event
- Avoiding situations that remind you of the trauma or feeling ‘numb’
- Feeling constantly ‘jumpy’ or on ‘edge’ for no reason
Though it feels desperately distressing at times, PTSD can be effectively treated in Sydney if you seek the appropriate help. Dr Abeya has experience in seeing many people with this condition and is well versed in evidence-based methods of treatment. Treatment consists of therapy and medication. It is very important to gain a better understanding of the condition so that it becomes less overwhelming. We call this psycho-education and it will be the first part of any treatment plan, as Dr Abeya will discuss the issues at hand at length.
Post traumatic stress disorder is a condition which can impact not only your personal health and well being but also affects those close to you in a significantly negative way. Therefore do not delay seeking help, and call us today.