Post Traumatic Stress
Individuals who have been exposed to a traumatic event may suffer from this condition.
Exposure can include any of the following:
- experiencing the event itself
- witnessing the event
- confronting the event
- the event itself involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical safety of the individual or others;
- the individual responded with very strong fear, helplessness or horror.
The traumatic event is repeatedly experienced in one or more of the following ways:
- Recurrent, distressing dreams of the event
- Repetitive, distressing recollections of the event, including images/thoughts
- Flashbacks
- Hypersensitivity to cues reminding the individual of the traumatic event
- Avoidance of thoughts, feelings, people, activities, places associated with the event.
Some or all of the following symptoms are present: Difficulty sleeping/eating, difficulty concentrating, irritability or angry outbursts.
If you have been exposed to a traumatic event(s) and you are experiencing some of these symptoms for a month or more, and they are interfering with your ability to function at your job, or in your personal life with your relationships, you may have PTSD.