CATSAUDIT
FIVE
“My past is an armour I cannot take off, no matter how many times you tell me the war
is over.”
“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”
Longfellow D
Flashbacks & nightmares
You find yourself re-living the event, again
and again. This can happen both as a
'flashback' in the day and as nightmares
when you are asleep. These can be so
realistic that it feels as though you are
living through the experience all over
again. You see it in your mind, but may
also feel the emotions and physical
sensations of what happened - fear,
sweating, smells, sounds, pain.
Ordinary things can trigger off flashbacks.
For instance, if you had a car crash in the
rain, a rainy day might start a flashback.
Being 'on guard'
You find that you stay alert all the time, as
if you are looking out for danger. You can’t
relax. This is called 'hypervigilance'. You
feel anxious and find it hard to sleep. Other
people will notice that you are jumpy and
irritable.
Other symptoms
Muscle aches and pains
Diarrhoea
Irregular heartbeats
Headaches
Feelings of panic and fear
Depression
Drinking too much alcohol
Using drugs (including painkillers).
Avoidance & numbing
It can be just too upsetting to re-live your
experience over and over again. So you
distract yourself. You keep your mind busy
by losing yourself in a hobby, working very
hard, or spending your time absorbed in
crosswords or jigsaw puzzles. You avoid
places and people that remind you of the
trauma, and try not to talk about it.
You may deal with the pain of your feelings
by trying to feel nothing at all – by
becoming emotionally numb. You
communicate less with other people who
then find it hard to live or work with you
People, Places and Things
STORY CONTINUED….soon, quoted notes at present
Under Development
Everyone deals with stress at some point or other in life. Whether in response to a physical threat or to a perceived social or emotional
risk, the stress response is the body’s way of preparing to face or flee from danger. It involves a series of physical, psychological, and
behavioural reactions that enable people to deal with the stressor and then return to their normal behaviors.
However, for people who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, as a result of being exposed to extreme danger, threat,
violence, or death, the stress response is heightened and can lead to physical and psychological distress far beyond what is experienced
in a normal stress response. In addition, people with PTSD tend to struggle with symptoms in situations where a person without the
disorder would not have a stress response.
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Hyperarousal (feeling 'on edge')
Someone with PTSD may be very
anxious and find it difficult to relax.
They may be constantly aware of
threats and easily startled. This state
of mind is known as hyperarousal.
Hyperarousal often leads to:
irritability
angry outbursts
sleeping problems (insomnia)
difficulty concentrating
Other problems
Many people with PTSD also have a
number of other problems, including:
other mental health problems – such as
depression, anxiety or phobias
self-harming or destructive behaviour –
such as drug misuse or alcohol misuse
other physical symptoms – such as
headaches, dizziness, chest pains and
stomach aches
PTSD sometimes leads to work-related
problems and the breakdown of
relationships.
Re-experiencing
Re-experiencing is the most typical
symptom of PTSD. This is when a person
involuntarily and vividly re-lives the
traumatic event in the form of:
flashbacks, nightmares, repetitive and
distressing images or sensations
physical sensations – such as pain,
sweating, nausea or trembling
Some people have constant negative
thoughts about their experience,
repeatedly asking themselves questions
that prevent them from coming to
terms with the event.
For example, they may wonder why the
event happened to them and if they
could have done anything to stop it,
which can lead to feelings of guilt or
shame.