PTSD

Have you ever experienced, witnessed, or been confronted with a life threatening event or serious injury to yourself or others?  Does your occupation involve encounters with events such as these (e.g, policy officer, firefighter, military duty)?  If so, you may be at risk for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).   

In response to trauma, people may feel intense fear, helplessness, or horror.  The traumatic event my be re-experienced in various ways, such as recurrent and intrusive recollections of the event, distressing dreams, acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring, and intense distress at exposure to reminders of the event.  People diagnosed with PTSD may also avoid any stimuli associated with the trauma and experience feeling “numb.”  In addition, people may have problems with sleep, feel irritable, have difficulty concentrating, be hypervigilant, and may be easily startled.

If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, help is available.  At BHC, we can assess your symptoms and provide treatment options, including psychotherapy.  Recovery is possible, as people learn to cope with their symptoms and develop a new sense of meaning. 

For more information, please check out the sites below:

National Center for PTSD
www.ncptsd.va.gov

PTSD Gateway
www.ptsdinfo.org