Have you seen the video clip where the girlfriend of an Iraqi war veteran plays a prank on him while he’s sleeping? While the soldier is lying on the couch napping, she starts a recording of bombs whistling and exploding and she tosses a stuffed animal at his head and starts screaming. The guy jumps up completely disoriented with a look of absolute horror on his face until he realizes he’s safe at home and it was all a joke.
Unfortunately, PTSD is no joking matter. PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder) is defined as a traumatic event that threatens your safety or makes you feel helpless. Any overwhelming life event can trigger PTSD, especially if the event is seen as unpredictable and uncontrollable. In other words, military veterans aren’t the only people who can suffer from this disorder. Car crashes, sexual or physical abuse, kidnapping, violent assaults, rape, or natural disasters are just a few examples of events that can lead to PTSD. While it is natural to have certain reactions to traumatic events such as dreaming about the event, feeling numb or afraid, and continually thinking of the event over and over, these symptoms tend to decrease with time. With sufferers of PTSD, that’s not the case. With some people, the symptoms can take weeks, months, or even years to develop.
If you suspect that you or a loved one has PTSD, it’s important to seek help right away. The sooner PTSD is confronted, the easier it is to overcome. If you’re reluctant to seek help, keep in mind that PTSD is not a sign of weakness and the only way to overcome it is to confront what happened to you, and learning to accept it as a part of your past. This process is much easier with the guidance and support of an experienced therapist or doctor.
It’s only natural to want to avoid painful memories and feelings. But if you try to numb yourself and push your memories away, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will only get worse. You can’t escape your emotions completely – they emerge under stress or whenever you let down your guard – and trying to do so is exhausting (can you say “Kanye West at the VMAs?). The avoidance will ultimately harm your relationships, your ability to function, and the quality of your life.
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