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If you have lived through a major stressful or painful event, you’re at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder. The painful events can include things like childhood abuse, combat, physical assault, a serious accident, or a natural disaster.
Common symptoms
The symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder can include:
- Nightmares or memories (flashbacks) of the painful event that cause strong feelings of anger and fear, and disrupt your daily life
- Avoiding feelings, friends, and reminders of the painful event
- Feeling grouchy and restless; having trouble concentrating and/or sleeping
- Physical symptoms, like headaches, stomach problems, dizziness, chest pain, and other pain
- Acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were happening again
The symptoms often start within a few months of the painful event. But they can take years to show up. Anniversaries of the event and other reminders can bring on symptoms. So, you may begin to avoid all places, people, and situations that could trigger a memory. When symptoms begin in the first month after the event and last up to four weeks, doctors call this Acute Stress Disorder.
Early treatment can help you deal with these disorders. Treatment includes counseling and/or medicine.
Also of Interest
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