What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (or PTSD) is a chronic, and sometimes lifelong disorder that has its onset some time after an particularly stressful traumatic event. The good news is that it need not be a lifelong challeng when treated by a suitable and effective therapy.
PTSD often occurs after a serious threat to one's own life, the life of a loved one, or following bullying at work or school. PTSD is sometimes caused by events which are accompanied by extreme fear, helplessness or horror. For example, violent assault, rape, terrorist bombings, military combat, natural disasters, airplane crashes, torture, fires, kidnapping or severe car accidents. PTSD can also be caused by a sudden life-threatening illness.
Also, it's not necessary to be the direct victim of one of these traumatic events to experience the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Sometimes, family members or friends of victims are so traumatised by witnessing or learning about the trauma causing event happening to someone else, that they develop the symptoms of PTSD themselves. In the workplace, or school, a person can be traumatised as the result of an accident, bullying, or other traumatising event happening to a workmate, school friend or other acquaintance.
Your first step to recovery may be to attend an initial consultation with a suitable therapist. Alan Crisp DHP offers such a service at his Beckenham consulting rooms. Alan is accredited by the National Council of Psychotherapists as competent to carry out Critical Incident Debriefing with individuals or groups who have sufferd trauma after being involved in an event such as those given above. This initial intervention* is usually followed by several further sessions** to move the individual back into a normal and productive way of living (although the first session may produce quite profound results).
If you have been involved in a trauma causing incident such as a road accident, fire, plane crash, mugging, or a natural disaster, more information can be found here
* This refers to the first charged for consultancy session.
** The number of follow-up sessions varies dependant upon many things but as a rough guide only, four to eight may be required.
alancrisp@hypnoseek.com 01702 338558 Contact