By Mary Cipriani, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (mcipriani@sdicouples.com)

Post-Traumatic Stress can be caused by an acute stressor or a life-threatening event. Events such as partner betrayal, racism, crimes, ridicule at work or school, are some examples that may cause PTS. The effects of post-traumatic stress can make you feel powerless, scared, can change your mood, make you feel isolated and alone. You may experience flashbacks, nightmares reliving the experience, trouble sleeping, have angry outbursts, apathy towards events that used to interest you and feel people around you don’t understand. Although most experience the symptoms up to 3 months after the traumatic experience, others can experience the symptoms longer.

PTSD Facts:

· More than 8 million Americans between the age of 18 and older have PTSD.

· 3.6% of the US Adult population experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the past year as reported by the National Institute of Mental Health.

· 67 percent of people exposed to mass violence have been shown to develop PTSD, a higher rate than those exposed to natural disasters or other types of traumatic events.

· People who have experienced previous traumatic events run a higher risk of developing PTSD.

· PTSD can also affect children and members of the military.

The good news is you don’t have to go through this alone. There are professionals who can help you and many who have sought help have for their symptoms have had great success. If you believe you are suffering from PTS please reach out to us, we are here to help you.

Resources:

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/treatment
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56506/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181836/