lethalnihilism: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that some people develop after experie

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that some people develop after experiencing an extremely traumatic event consisting of actual or threatened death, serious injury, or physical or sexual violence. Many people who experience these types of events do not go on to develop PTSD. Events that cause PTSD:
directly experiencing or witnessing firsthand: violent personal assaults, such as sexual assault, mugging or robbery, prolonged sexual abuse, prolonged domestic violence or severe neglect, military combat (includes being a prisoner of war), being held hostage and/or tortured, terrorist attacks, natural or man-made disasters
learning of an unexpected and severely violent injury, assault, suicide, or death of a close family member or friend.
in professional settings- repeated or extreme exposure to violent details of traumatic events, such as first responders collecting human remains, or police officers repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse (an important note:doesnotinclude exposure via electronic media unless work related)
For a diagnosis of PTSD according to the DSM V, the following symptoms must be present for at least one month (Acute Stress Disorder has similar symptoms but they last for less than one month). and impair social or occupational functioning, cause great distress, and aren’t accounted for by any other factor:
two forms of recurrent involuntary intrusive re-experiencing of the events: disassociative flashbacks where upon exposure to triggers, the person feels\acts as if the trauma is actually occurring, intense recurrent nightmares directly associated with traumatic event, recurrent involuntarydistressing memories of the event (not rumination)
alwaysor almost always avoiding: memories, activities, people, places, or events that provoke distressing memories\thoughts\feelings associated with the event
two hyper-arousal or reactivity symptoms: hyper vigilance, intense startle response, concentration issues, reckless or self destructive behavior, irritability, sleep issues due to heightened arousal, concentration issues, angry outbursts
two memory or mood symptoms: inability to remember important aspects of trauma (not due to intoxication or head injury), self-blaming, inability to feel positive emotions, diminished interest in significant activities, feelings of detachment, distorted negative thinking about the future,
Risk factors for developing PTSD include:lack of emotional support following the event, childhood trauma and pre-existing PTSD, mental illness, and other stressors following the traumatic event. Factors that decrease chances of PTSD include:emotional support, lack of guilt and initial healthy coping mechanisms. There’s a correlation between PTSD & suicide, and many people with PTSD have reported suicidal thoughts. There’s also a link between PTSD and depression, addiction, panic disorders and personality disorders. Successful treatments include Cognitive Behavioral Therapies: Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing, Exposure therapy, & Cognitive Restructuring. Medications used to treat PTSD include SSRI anti-depressants and anxiety medications.
x,x,x,x,x