The Beginnings of the MIND CONTROL System ~ Did 9/11 Scare You? Mass Shooters? Are False Flags Designed to Rewire and Damage Your Brain? What is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. Fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to help defend against danger or to avoid it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a typical reaction meant to protect a person from harm. Nearly everyone will experience a range of reactions after trauma, yet most people recover from initial symptoms naturally. Those who continue to experience problems may be diagnosed with PTSD. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened, even when they are not in danger. Signs and Symptoms  Not every traumatized person develops ongoing (chronic) or even short-term (acute) PTSD. Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some experiences, like the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one, can also cause PTSD. Symptoms usually begin early, within 3 months of the traumatic incident, but sometimes they begin years afterward. Symptoms must last more than a month and be severe enough to interfere with relationships or work to be considered PTSD. The course of the illness varies. Some people recover within 6 months, while others have symptoms that last much longer. In some people, the condition becomes chronic. A doctor who has experience helping people with mental illnesses, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist, can diagnose PTSD. To be diagnosed with PTSD, an adult must have all of the following for at least 1 month: At least one re-experiencing symptom  At least one avoidance symptom  At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms  At least two cognition and mood symptoms  Re-experiencing symptoms include:  Flashbacks—reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweating  Bad dreams  Frightening thoughts  Re-experiencing symptoms may cause problems in a person’s everyday routine. The symptoms can start from the person’s own thoughts and feelings. Words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event can also trigger re-experiencing symptoms. Avoidance symptoms include:  Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the traumatic experience  Avoiding thoughts or feelings related to the traumatic event  Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a bad car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a car. Arousal and reactivity symptoms include:  Being easily startled  Feeling tense or “on edge”  Having difficulty sleeping  Having angry outbursts  Arousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind one of the traumatic events. These symptoms can make the person feel stressed and angry. They may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating. Cognition and mood symptoms include:  Trouble remembering key features of the traumatic event  Negative thoughts about oneself or the world  Distorted feelings like guilt or blame  Loss of interest in enjoyable activities  Cognition and mood symptoms can begin or worsen after the traumatic event, but are not due to injury or substance use. These symptoms can make the person feel alienated or detached from friends or family members.  It is natural to have some of these symptoms after a dangerous event. When people have very serious symptoms that go away after a few weeks, it is called acute stress disorder. When the symptoms last more than a month, seriously affect one’s ability to function, and are not due to substance use, medical illness, or anything except the event itself, they might be PTSD. Some people with PTSD don’t show any symptoms for weeks or months. PTSD is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or one or more of the other anxiety disorders. Do children react differently than adults?  Children and teens can have extreme reactions to trauma, but some of their symptoms may not be the same as adults. Symptoms sometimes seen in very young children (less than 6 years old), these symptoms can include: Wetting the bed after having learned to use the toilet  Forgetting how to or being unable to talk  Acting out the scary event during playtime  Being unusually clingy with a parent or other adult  Older children and teens are more likely to show symptoms similar to those seen in adults. They may also develop disruptive, disrespectful, or destructive behaviors. Older children and teens may feel guilty for not preventing injury or deaths. They may also have thoughts of revenge. Risk Factors  Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. This includes war veterans, children, and people who have been through a physical or sexual assault, abuse, accident, disaster, or other serious events. According to the National Center for PTSD, about 7 or 8 out of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men, and genes may make some people more likely to develop PTSD than others. Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some people develop PTSD after a friend or family member experiences danger or harm. The sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can also lead to PTSD. Why do some people develop PTSD and other people do not?  It is important to remember that not everyone who lives through a dangerous event develops PTSD. In fact, most people will not develop the disorder. Many factors play a part in whether a person will develop PTSD. Some examples are listed below. Risk factors make a person more likely to develop PTSD. Other factors, called resilience factors, can help reduce the risk of the disorder. Some factors that increase risk for PTSD include: Living through dangerous events and traumas  Getting hurt  Seeing another person hurt, or seeing a dead body  Childhood trauma  Feeling horror, helplessness, or extreme fear  Having little or no social support after the event  Dealing with extra stress after the event, such as loss of a loved one, pain and injury, or loss of a job or home  Having a history of mental illness or substance abuse  Some factors that may promote recovery after trauma include: Seeking out support from other people, such as friends and family  Finding a support group after a traumatic event  Learning to feel good about one’s own actions in the face of danger  Having a positive coping strategy, or a way of getting through the bad event and learning from it  Being able to act and respond effectively despite feeling fear  Researchers are studying the importance of these and other risk and resilience factors, including genetics and neurobiology. With more research, someday it may be possible to predict who is likely to develop PTSD and to prevent it. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml