Post
Traumatic Stress (PTS) became common in the media and public vocabulary
following the Vietnam War. Whilst this raised awareness of the impact
of Trauma on a person's life, it sometimes misleads people into
thinking that one could only suffer from PTS if they experienced a
major social trauma such as war, or natural disasters.
However, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) describes the on-going
effects to a person of experiencing or seeing trauma. Trauma can be
experienced from any personally terrifying experiences such as being
mugged, rape, beatings, being robbed, house being broken into, or being
a witness to these types of traumatic events or seeing horrific car
crash, or a terrifying global event or terrorism.
Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
A person suffering from post traumatic stress may experience:
- Recurrent recollections (images, thoughts), dreams, or feelings (as though reliving what happened).
- Great distress when confronted with 'cues' /’triggers’ that remind them of, or symbolise the event.
- Tries to avoid events, people or activities that might remind them of the trauma.
- Generally pulling away from friends or family (not really interested
in activities, appearing distant, feeling a bit 'numb' towards loved
ones / peers).
-
Lost interest in, or feeling depressed about the future ("I can't see myself getting married/growing old" etc).
-
Hyper vigilance or control over what needs to happen in life around you.
Other
personality or behaviour changes may include: sleeping trouble, being
moody and losing their temper more regularly, trouble concentrating,
being very watchful or easily startled.
If you suspect that you are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress, don’t
delay in seeking help and support. At South Pacific Private, we offer a
safe, nurturing environment providing staff and community support 24
hrs a day to respond to your needs.
Our residential program of 3-5
weeks encourages a supportive ‘client community’ and includes daily
group therapy sessions enabling you to work through your traumatic
history or experience with confidence and security.
Contact our Client Liaison team on 1800 063 332 or via confidential email to see how we may help you.
