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:

1. Recurrent, distressing dreams of the event
2. Repetitive, distressing recollections of the event, including images/thoughts
3. Flashbacks
4. Hypersensitivity to cues reminding the individual of the traumatic event
5. 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.