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Trauma of great severity is more likely to produce PTSD than lesser traumas. For example, it was
found with Vietnam War veterans that prolonged
combat with sniping and air bombardment produced
PTSD more often than brief exposure to combat with
few weapons. It has also been found that traumas
between people (such as sexual assault and muggings)
are more likely to produce PTSD than natural disasters
like earthquakes or floods.
People can be considered to have PTSD when they
have been exposed to an extreme trauma, the
symptoms last at least a month in duration, and the
symptoms cause excessive distress so that social functioning and job performance are impaired. One sign of
PTSD is that the traumatic event is relived repeatedly in
the person's mind - and this appears in the form of
"flashbacks," recurrent images, thoughts or dreams
about the event...and even nightmares. Reminders of the
event can cause distress - so many people go out of
their way to avoid places and events that remind them
of the catastrophic occurrence. Many people experience
anxiety, restlessness, concentration difficulties,
decreased memory, irritability, sleeplessness, hypervigilance, or an exaggerated startle response. Some people
even experience what is called "survivor's guilt" -
because they survived and others did not or because of
certain things they may have had to do in order to survive.
There are three main clusters of PTSD symptoms, and all three of these groupings must be present for a diagnosis of PTSD.
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Intrusive Symptoms:
Intrusive and repetitive
memories which stir up negative feelings experienced
during the trauma can overwhelm a person. These
memories can appear in the form of:
- flashbacks (a feeling of reliving the trauma)
- frequent, distressing memories of the
trauma
- nightmares
- emotional and physical distress when
traumatic memories are triggered.
Arousal Symptoms:
PTSD sufferers
experience physiological reactions, which indicate that
they don't feel safe and they are physically on the alert
to deal with danger. These can include:
- being easily startled or feeling jumpy
- hypervigilance (feeling "on guard" even
when the situation is safe)
- concentration difficulties
- outbursts of anger and irritability
- problems in falling asleep or staying asleep.
Avoidance Symptoms:
: People suffering
from PTSD go out of their way to escape the overpowering memories and arousal symptoms. This pattern of
behavior can include:
- avoiding places, people or situations that
serve as reminders of the trauma
- avoiding thoughts or feelings associated
with the trauma
- memory loss about some aspects of the
traumatic event
- feeling emotionally numb
- feeling estranged or detached from other
people
- feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
about the future
- decreased interest in pleasurable activities.
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