Severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Please tell me Judy - what are the initial signs of PTSD? - Corina, Bedfordview, SA.


Lets list them for you Corina (and there is quite a list!):

• Body aches and pains - nausea, vomiting, headaches, inability to speak clearly, sweating, heart palpitations and excessive tension.
• Numbness - this can be so severe that the person can be catatonic.
• Lack of concentration - inability to sleep, nightmares, loss of productivity in the workplace and at home, mood swings, weeping.
• Flashbacks of the trauma - fear of perpetrator, imagining the trauma will happen again, fear of the trauma repeating itself, cowering, trembling and even wailing.
• Exaggerated startle response - sudden fright if someone suddenly appears, the phone rings, etc.
  

Judy, what are the later signs of PTSD?  The ones that reveal that psychological help is needed? - Patricia, Halifax

Patricia, again I am going to list them here for you.  You could say they are warning signs that the PTSD has moved on to a crucial stage where outside help is necessary:

• Feeling 'frozen' on waking.  Wanting to remain in bed.
• Becoming unduly upset by violence on television, in movies, the newspaper and on hearing perceived fights or arguments in the vicinity.
• Feeling anxious about your security.
• Abusing drugs or alcohol, or both.
• Unable to stay in one place - moving house, changing phone numbers, jobs, avoiding people or places perceived as unsafe.
• Isolating yourself from friends and family members.  Not wanting to go out.
• Resisting sexual contact and even simple embraces or a hug.
• Feeling of being overwhelmed and unable to cope.
• Lack of self-confidence.
• Thoughts of suicide.
  

Patricia, if you know of someone with these symptoms, realise that it must be treated as an illness and the end result could be death (suicide) if they are not helped to climb out of the abyss of severe PTSD.