PTSDSupport

PTSD INFORMATION AND SUPPORT

NOTE: If you find that any of the information contained on these pages is triggering for you, please click on the SAFE HAVEN! link located on each page. Your safety is important to me!

SAFE HAVEN!

What is PTSD?

PTSD is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is a disorder that occurs after a person has witnessed, been confronted with, or has experienced a traumatic event which involved the threat of death or serious injury. Traumatic events include, but are not limited to: natural disaster, accidents, combat, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, physical assault, and rape.
Symptoms of PTSD include, but are not limited to: flashbacks, nightmares, panic and/or anxiety attacks, feelings of unreality, depersonalization, exaggerated startle response, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, depression, irritability and/or angry outbursts, and avoidance of thoughts, feelings, conversation, activities, places, or people associated with the trauma.
I know what it is like to live from day to day with PTSD. There are certain smells that trigger waves of fear in me; there are television programs I avoid watching such as those containing gunplay and graphic violence. Loud noises can send me off into a panic attack. I can sometimes feel someone breathing on the back of my neck when I am walking somewhere, only to turn around and discover no one is there. I understand when someone tells me they have PTSD. It can be very debilitating, affecting one's ability to work, maintain relationships, and to simply function in everyday living. But there is a light in the darkness where PTSD resides - it is a treatable disorder. With the help of medications, therapy, and an adequate support system, there is hope for healing. You are not alone!
* Wings on the Mend: More About My Own Journey of Healing