National PTSD Day is celebrated on June 27 in the US to raise awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental health problem that arises when one is exposed to one or more traumatic events. These Traumatic events later morph into PTSD if not treated on time. The events can be fraught with painful memories of physical or sexual assault, witnessing war-related combat, stress from disasters, and deadly threats faced by a person in a particular moment in their life.

Most PTSD illnesses go undiagnosed because they are not easily identifiable. PTSD often mimics and overlaps with symptoms of other mental illnesses like depression or anxiety. Proper diagnosis is key to dealing with the symptoms of PTSD. Learning and educating ourselves about this illness can go a long way in coping with it. Let’s start with What is PTSD?

The American Psychiatric Association defines PTSD as “a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury.”

How To Spot The Signs of PTSD?

Some common symptoms of PTSD, as stated by Mayo Clinic include,

Intrusive Memories

  • Unwittingly remembering unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event

  • Flashbacks of those memories. Reliving those traumatic events as if they were happening again (flashbacks)

  • Recurring dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event

Avoidance

  • Avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event

  • Also trying to avoid places, activities or people that remind you of the traumatic event.

Mood Alterations

  • Being easily startled or frightened

  • Always being on guard for danger

  • Self-destructive behaviour, such as drinking too much or driving too fast

  • Trouble sleeping

  • Trouble concentrating

  • Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behaviour

  • Overwhelming guilt or shame

Diagnosis

The first step is to identify and come to terms with the symptoms of PTSD. If you suffer from any of the aforementioned symptoms for more than four weeks, seek professional help who can diagnose and prescribe treatment. Find a suitable therapist that will adequately meet your needs.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2021 03:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).