



1. Repeated "reliving" of the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity

Flashback episodes, where the event seems to be happening again and again

Recurrent distressing memories of the event

Repeated dreams of the event

Physical reactions to situations that remind you of the traumatic event 2. Avoidance

Emotional "numbing," or feeling as though you don’t care about anything

Feelings of detachment

Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma

Lack of interest in normal activities

Less expression of moods

Staying away from places, people, or objects that remind you of the event

Sense of having no future 3. Arousal

Difficulty concentrating

Exaggerated response to things that startle you

Excess awareness (hypervigilance)

Irritability or outbursts of anger

Sleeping difficulties You also might feel a sense of guilt about the event (including "survivor guilt"), and the following symptoms, which are typical of anxiety, stress, and tension:

Agitation, or excitability

Dizziness

Fainting

Feeling your heart beat in your chest (palpitations)

Fever

Headache

Paleness Symptoms of PTSD fall into three main categories:

Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD and trauma involves carefully and gradually “exposing” yourself to thoughts, feelings, and situations that remind you of the trauma. Therapy also involves identifying upsetting thoughts about the traumatic event–particularly thoughts that are distorted and irrational—and replacing them with more balanced picture.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic, left-right stimulation, such as hand taps or sounds. Eye movements and other bilateral forms of stimulation are thought to work by “unfreezing” the brain’s information processing system, which is interrupted in times of extreme stress, leaving only frozen emotional fragments which retain their original intensity. Once EMDR frees these fragments of the trauma, they can be integrated into a cohesive memory and processed.

Family therapy. Since PTSD affects both you and those close to you, family therapy can be especially productive. Family therapy can help your loved ones understand what you’re going through. It can also help everyone in the family communicate better and work through relationship problems.

Medication. Medication is sometimes prescribed to people with PTSD to relieve secondary symptoms of depression or anxiety, but it does not treat the causes of PTSD.

This is what someone said to me while we were talking about soldiers over in Afghanistan and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome). He went on to say, though, that it was doable....changeable with time.And it got me thinking, yes about Soldiers, but more to the point...anyone who has suffered through long term trauma. Being someone who has suffered through something like that myself, I guess it struck a cord deep inside me. So I thought I'd offer you a fact sheet on PTSD.You might be wondering what this has to do with being an Empath. But if you think about it, it's extremely reasonable, because alot of Empaths (not all by any means....but quite a few) come by their hypersensitivity through conditioning in their developmental years. What that means is that alot of Empaths have been abused in some way to cause them to be as hypersensitive as they are.So this topic, like so many others on this blogsite, is an important one to take note of.Most of all....don't be afraid to seek help from a friend, a family member, or a professional if you feel you are in need. You are not alone in the struggle. And there is ALWAYS hope. ^_^