Causes of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is essentially a memory filing error caused by a traumatic event and can affect anyone who has been exposed to a traumatic event (this can include the trauma happening to you, or being a witness to trauma).
The defining characteristic of a traumatic event is its capacity to provoke fear, helplessness, or horror in response to the threat of injury or death and therefore can affect anyone. Examples of traumatic events include:
- Serious accidents such as road traffic accidents
- Being told you have a life-threatening illness
- Bereavement
- Violent personal assault, such as a physical attack, robbery, or mugging
- Medical staff
- Military combat and service
- Abuse, including Childhood and Domestic Abuse
- Emergency Service Workers
- Burglary
- Employment where you repeatedly see distressing images or hear details of traumatic events
- Natural disasters such as flooding or an earthquake
- Terrorist attack
- Being kidnapped or held hostage
- Traumatic childbirth (in people who give birth and birth partners)
- Refugee and asylum seekers
- Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy
- Sexual Assault or rape
- Prison Employees
- Admission to an Intensive Care Unit
- Any event in which you fear for your life
It’s not clear why some people develop PTSD whilst others who’ve been in a similar situation don’t develop the condition. We do however, know that anyone can develop PTSD, but some people are at greater risk.
Some of the risk factors for developing PTSD include:
- repeated trauma
- lack of support after the trauma
- having had a mental illness in the past
- a history of abuse or trauma in childhood
- the type/severity of the traumatic event
Traumatic events can also cause depression, generalised anxiety, and agoraphobia – and if you experience any symptoms for longer than one month after a traumatic event, it’s important to talk to a doctor or other medical professional as soon as you can.
Treatments for PTSD
It is possible for PTSD to be successfully treated many years after the traumatic event occurred, which means it is never too late to seek help. For some, the first step may be watchful waiting, then exploring therapeutic options such as individual or group therapy – but the main treatment options in the UK are psychological treatments such as Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprogramming (EMDR) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Traumatic events can be very difficult to come to terms with, but confronting and understanding your feelings and seeking professional help is often the only way of effectively treating PTSD. You can find out more in the links below, or here.
PTSD UK Blog
You’ll find up-to-date news, research and information here along with some great tips to ease your PTSD in our blog.
OCD and PTSD – and the relationship between the two
Studies have shown that it’s really common for patients to suffer from both Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) simultaneously. It’s thought that in some circumstances, obsessive behaviors such as repetitive washing or checking may be a
Yogic breathing to reduce PTSD anxiety
Nadi Shodhan Pranayama is a yogic breathing technique which helps to calm and centre the mind, to keep it happy, relaxed and peaceful and rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit – incredibly useful for PTSD sufferers. It’s said that a
Why does PTSD make you cry? The science of our tears
Scientists believe that crying can make you feel physically and emotionally better. ‘Having a good cry’ is thought to rid the body of toxins and waste products which build up during times of elevated stress – so it’s logical then
Remember remember… those with PTSD
We’ve mentioned before that people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can often develop difficulties with sounds such as an exaggerated startle response, fear of sound (phonophobia), aversion to specific sounds (misophonia), and a difficulty in tolerance and volume of sounds that
My Story: Going through EMDR treatment for PTSD
When I had PTSD, my biggest fear was ‘If I can’t really even explain how I feel, how can somebody ‘fix’ me?’ I couldn’t understand how they could get rid of my PTSD without somebody going into my skull and rewiring
Is it possible to heal from PTSD?
Back in 2009, when I ran the Edinburgh marathon with no training (very bad idea!), I didn’t eat for three days afterwards. If I told you that scientifically it’s cause my body was so busy repairing my muscles and dealing
Support & information for Friends and Family
When someone you care about suffers from PTSD it affects you too.
The symptoms of PTSD aren’t easy to live with, and the changes in your loved one can be downright terrifying. You may worry that things won’t ever go back to the way they were before. At the same time, you may feel angry about what’s happening to your family, or hurt by your loved one’s distance and new emotions.
Your support can make a huge difference in your friend or family member’s recovery. But as you do your best to care for someone with PTSD, you also need to take care of yourself too.