Post Traumatic Post

 
Traumatic experiences literraly scare us half to death.  They shake the foundation of our beliefs abput safety and shatter our assumptions of trust.  After the experience we can find purselves behaving and acting strangely, which disturbs us even more.

Post traumatic stress disorder is a type of psychological damage that can occur after you experience, witness or participate in an overwhelming frightening event.  The even may be catastrophic and may involve many people, such as an earthquake, typhoon, airplane crash or major flood. It could be something low key that has happened to the relatively few people, maybe only you. 

Perhaps, it was a serious accident or you were the victim of crime.  Understanding normal responses to these abnormal events can aid you in coping effectively with your feelings, thoughts and behaviors, and help you along the path to recovery.

Shock and denial are typical responses to disasters and other kinds of trauma, especially shortly after the event.  Both shock and denial and normal protective reactions. Shock is a sudden and often intense disturbance of your emotional state that may leave you feeling stunned or dazed.  Denial involves not acknowledging fully the intensity of the event.  People often report they feel numb or disconnected from life.


Thoughts and behavior patterns are affected by the trauma.  As the initial shock subsides, reactions vary from one person to another. Feelings become intense and unpredictable.  You might be especially anxious, nervous, or depressed, and experience vivid flashbacks which occur for no apparent reason.  You may find it difficult to concentrate and make decisions or become more easily confused.  Sleep and eating patterns can become disrupted.  You  might experience physical symptoms like rapid heart  beat, sweating, headaches, and nausea.  Chest pain can accompany extreme stress and pre-existing medical conditions may worsen.