Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Is PTSD stopping you from living your life? Are you finding yourself having frequent nightmare and flashbacks about a particular event? Are you experiencing isolation irritability and guilt?
What are ASD and PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) are anxiety disorders caused by events you found terrifying or disturbing.
PTSD sufferers often relive the event through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience isolation, irritability and guilt. These disorders can develop even if you were a witness to the trauma, as opposed to being directly involved.
The disorder is commonly associated with soldiers and veterans, but events or traumas that have been known to trigger ASD or PTSD in people are diverse and can include terrorism, war, natural disasters, fire events, car crashes, physical and sexual assault and being the victim or witness of a crime. Other less obvious causes include abuse, bullying, childhood neglect, unexpected death of a family member or friend, complicated childbirth, and long-term illness. There is an argument that if the trauma is repressed, new or worse symptoms can develop years later, including in some cases of repeat sexual abuse and childhood neglect. This is sometimes called ‘complex PTSD’.
What is the best treatment for ASD and PTSD?
Psychological treatment can help with PTSD, even if you only receive help long after the event. Your treatment should be personalised to your needs – depending on how severe your symptoms are and how long you have been suffering.
There is no medication to cure PTSD or ASD. In some cases anti-depressants are prescribed as part of your treatment, to manage the secondary symptoms of PTSD like depression and anxiety, to help you benefit more deeply from other psychological treatments.
Recommended treatment options:
- Psychotherapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Family Therapy