Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after experiencing one or more traumatic events. These events can range from single accidents or assaults to chronic abuse within unhealthy family patterns. 

Generally, PTSD includes experiences of avoiding reminders of the trauma (including memories of the trauma as well as external people, places, and activities), having intrusive experiences of the trauma such as nightmares of intrusive images, changes to thinking and mood patterns, as well as changes in reactivity, such as being easily startled.  

With PTSD, people go through experiences which alter the way that their nervous system interacts with the world.  People, places, and activities that were previously positive or neutral might not be flagged by someone’s nervous system as dangerous. 

With PTSD, one’s nervous system responds as if it is still chronically unsafe, even if the dangerous situation has passed. This leads to feeling on edge and in danger, even when someone is actually in a safer situation. Luckily, these changes can be address through a variety of different treatment options.