Alcohol and drugs may help block out painful memories in the short term, but they can get in the way of a successful recovery and cause other serious problems. People commonly use alcohol or other drugs to blunt the emotional pain that they are experiencing. These may have developed directly in response to the traumatic event or as a result of the effects of having PTSD. In fact, up to 80 per cent of people who have long-standing PTSD develop additional problems - most commonly depression, anxiety, and alcohol or other substance misuse. When PTSD goes on for some time, it is not unusual for people to experience other mental health problems at the same time. People with PTSD need the support of family and friends but may not understand what is happening to them or think that they need help. It is important to remember that these behaviours are part of the problem. This can lead to loved ones feeling shut out. They may stop them from participating in family life or ignore offers of help. A person with PTSD can often seem uninterested or distant as they try not to think or feel in order to block out painful memories. PTSD can affect a person’s ability to work, perform day-to-day activities or relate to their family and friends. Impact of PTSD on relationships and day-to-day life Other problems that can develop alongside PTSD include anxiety or depression, defiant behaviour, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and in teenagers and young adults, suicidal thoughts and alcohol or drug use. Children may also lose interest in play, become socially withdrawn, or have extreme temper tantrums.Ībout one third of children who experience a traumatic event will develop PTSD. Many children have frightening dreams without recognisable content rather than nightmares that replay the traumatic event. For example, they may re-live the traumatic event through repetitive play rather than having unwanted memories of the event during the day. Younger children can express distress in a different way. Older children and teenagers experience similar problems to adults when they develop PTSD. “I felt like I was watching things happen from above.”.“It was as though I wasn’t even there.”.People with PTSD can also have what are termed ‘dissociative experiences’, which are frequently described as: Being overly alert or ‘wound up’ indicated by sleeping difficulties, irritability, lack of concentration, becoming easily startled and constantly being on the lookout for signs of danger.Ī health practitioner may diagnose PTSD if a person has symptoms in each of these four areas for a month or more, which lead to significant distress or impacts on their ability to work and study, their relationships and day-to-day life.Negative changes in feelings and thoughts, such as feeling angry, afraid, guilty, flat or numb, developing beliefs such as “I’m bad” or “The world’s unsafe”, and feeling cut off from others.Avoiding reminders of the event, such as thoughts, feelings, people, places, activities or situations that bring back memories of the event.There may be intense emotional or physical reactions when reminded of the event including sweating, heart palpitations, anxiety or panic. Re-living the traumatic event through unwanted and recurring memories, flashbacks or vivid nightmares.they have suffered from PTSD in the past.Ī person with PTSD has four main types of difficulties:.they have had other traumatic experiences involving helplessness or danger including physical or sexual abuse, car accidents, criminal events, natural disasters or conflict.the event involved something they never thought would happen to them.the event involved physical or sexual assault.Generally these reactions and feelings will resolve on their own over the next few weeks, however if the reactions and distress continue, it may mean that the person has is at risk for developing PTSD or another mental health condition.Īnyone can develop PTSD following a traumatic event, but people are at greater risk if: It also evokes strong feelings of fear, sadness, guilt, anger, or grief. It also brings constant memories of the event and feelings it may happen again. These reactions often alternate with numbness and detachment. In the first days and weeks after a traumatic event, people often experience heightened arousal, alertness, looking for danger and being on guard. This could be a car or other serious accident, physical or sexual assault, war-related events or torture, or a natural disaster such as bushfire or flood. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a set of reactions that can develop in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event that threatens their life or safety (or of others around them).
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