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A part of me hesitates to put this ‘title’ on the web site because I know some will consider it psychological verbage.  I know how detrimental a lack of information about any situation in our lives can be...especially when it affects our health, whether mental or physical.  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a recognized group of symptoms from known causes.  Let me give you a situation in our own family:

Ten years ago our son started having pain in his lower jaw where he had some dental work done.  He kept tasting a metal taste and he kept going back to the dentist with that fact plus the jaw pain and twinges he was having.  This went on for about a year -- the filling in the tooth changed twice-- before he had a major seizure.  We learned from neurologists that the symptoms he was going to the dentist for were symptoms of a brain tumor. Our son was not able to get the proper early treatment for his condition because the dentist did not recognize the symptoms as possibly stemming from a source other than the tooth.

It is my desire that this information may make many aware of what is happening to them, or others in their lives, because of trauma.  If I had been given this article my healing from my yesterdays of abuse could have been a much less stressful time.  I would have had understanding which would have given me peace in the process: Like knowing exactly what is physically wrong with us as we wait to get well.

It is common for people to feel that no matter what they’ve faced or lived with, no matter how extreme, they should be able to carry on. But sometimes people face situations that are so traumatic that they may become unable to cope and function in their daily lives: situations/traumas that are beyond the levels of human experience, such a witnessing a brutal crime, combat in war, or being the victim of a sexual assault or abusive relationship. Post-traumatic stress disorder is caused by a traumatic event and will typically appear within 3 months of the traumatic event. However, in some instances, it may not occur until years after the event, which is often the case with victims of childhood abuse.

Some people become so distressed by memories of the trauma -- memories that won’t go away -- that they begin to live their lives trying to avoid any reminders of what happened to them. A person who feels this way months after a traumatic experience has passed may be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, a serious and common health condition.

"PTSD is more likely after a rape or other manmade trauma than after an earthquake, hurricane, flood, or other naturally occurring disaster. Psychologically, it seems to matter whether the trauma is intentionally aimed at the victim or is random and suffered by many people together.

People are less likely to have PTSD if they think about the trauma, talk to other people about it, and let go of their anger over the incident."  She encourages

people to face the trauma: "Talk to someone you trust, write about it, do anything but push it away." Foa's patients have told her, "I'm not the person I used to be. I don't trust people. I can't feel loving anymore." Edna Foa, Ph.D., director of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety.

Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

The Broken Spirits Network

http://www.brokenspirits.com

Frequent Memories Of The Stressful Event: Whatever the source of the problem, some people with PTSD repeatedly relive the trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the day. Seeing things that are a reminder of the incident may be very distressing, which could lead to avoidance of certain places or situations that bring back those memories. Anniversaries of the event are often very difficult. Ordinary events can serve as reminders of the trauma and trigger flashbacks or intrusive images. A flashback may make the person lose touch with reality and reenact the event for a period of seconds or hours or, very rarely, days. A person having a flashback, which can come in the form of images, sounds, smells, or feelings, usually believes that the traumatic event is happening all over again.

Extreme Depression: depression, to the point of considering suicide, is one of the most common symptoms of PTSD, and also one of the most serious. Depression, at any level, is something that should be taken seriously. A medical professional should be seen as soon as possible if the depression begins to increase in intensity, or remains for long periods at a time.

Sleep Disturbances: Examples of sleeping disorders include: sleeping constantly or insomnia and frequent nightmares.

Extreme Sensitivity To Noises (Causing The Startle Reflex): After a traumatic event, the body maintains a enhanced fight-or-flight reflex, causing the body to respond to loud or sudden noises.

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