What is it?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, leading to symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, which can affect daily life and relationships.
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Description
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. PTSD can affect anyone who has been through a distressing, frightening, or overwhelming experience, causing them to feel frightened, anxious, and distressed even when they are no longer in danger.
Symptoms of PTSD can include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. PTSD can impact a person’s ability to cope with everyday life and relationships, often leading to feelings of isolation and difficulty in trusting others.
Symptoms
- Reliving aspects of what happened
For example:
- vivid flashbacks (feeling like the trauma is happening right now)
- intrusive thoughts or images
- nightmares
- intense distress at real or symbolic reminders of the trauma
- physical sensations such as pain, sweating, nausea or trembling.
- Feeling alert or on edge
For example:
- panicking when reminded of the trauma
- being easily upset or angry
- extreme alertness, also sometimes called ‘hypervigilance’
- disturbed sleep or a lack of sleep
- irritability or aggressive behaviour
- finding it hard to concentrate – including on simple or everyday tasks
- being jumpy or easily startled
- other symptoms of anxiety
- Avoiding feelings or memories
For example:
- feeling like you have to keep busy
- avoiding anything that reminds you of the trauma
- being unable to remember details of what happened
- feeling emotionally numb or cut off from your feelings
- feeling physically numb or detached from your body
- being unable to express affection
- doing things that could be self-destructive or reckless
- using alcohol or drugs to avoid memories.
- Difficult beliefs or feelings
For example:
- feeling like you can’t trust anyone
- feeling like nowhere is safe
- feeling like nobody understands
- blaming yourself for what happened
- overwhelming feelings of anger, sadness, guilt or shame.
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Stat
1 in 13
children and young people in the UK will suffer from PTSD at some point during childhood
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Causes
Causes
The situations we find traumatic can vary from person to person. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be triggered by a number of different traumatic events. For example:
- car crashes
- sexual assault
- abuse
- bullying
- seeing other people killed or hurt
- experiencing violence
- natural disasters, and witnessing traumatic events.
- traumatic childbirth
- losing someone close to you
- being sectioned
Some people are more at risk due to factors like repeated trauma, physical injury, lack of support, additional stressors (e.g., bereavement or homelessness), and prior mental health issues like anxiety or depression.
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Voice
Low mood and a lack of motivation to engage in previously enjoyed activities is also common following a trauma. Look out for this at break times and with extra-curricular activities. Encourage children to continue to engage in previously enjoyed activities, even if they don’t feel like it.
- Nip in the Bud, PTSD in Children: Tips for Teachers Fact Sheet
Getting help
If you’ve experienced trauma and are struggling with PTSD symptoms, confide in someone you trust, such as a teacher, relative, counselor, or friend. Additionally, visit your GP, who can refer you to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), a specialist, or a psychiatrist for further support.
- Talking therapies
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends two main treatments for PTSD:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which can help you find new ways to cope with your thoughts and feelings about what happened.
- You may also be offered EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing), a technique that uses rapid eye movements to reduce distress from bad memories.
- Medication
Medication is not typically the first-line treatment for PTSD, but it may be considered under specific circumstances:
Co-existing Conditions: If you also have depression or sleep disturbances related to PTSD.
Preference for Medication: If you prefer or are unable to undergo talking treatments.
Antidepressants, such as venlafaxine or SSRIs like sertraline, are commonly prescribed if medication is deemed necessary. While PTSD differs from depression, these medications have shown effectiveness in managing PTSD symptoms.
For individuals experiencing symptoms of psychosis or severe hyperarousal (persistent heightened alertness) that are unresponsive to other treatments, antipsychotics may be prescribed. Regular review by a psychiatrist is recommended for those on antipsychotic medication.
- Other treatment options
Some individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) find treatments beyond conventional methods beneficial in managing their condition. These include group therapy, arts therapies, and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT).
Trauma can impact both the mind and body, and emerging evidence suggests that body-based therapies can aid individuals with PTSD in grounding themselves and regulating emotions. To explore body-based therapy and find a therapist, the Body Psychotherapy Network offers resources.
However, according to NICE guidelines, treatments not specifically designed or rigorously tested for trauma survivors should not be used as standalone therapies.
- Self-management resources
There are a number of organisations and resources that provide support and advice for PTSD.
You can find a wealth of free resources on NCL Waiting Room that can support with the symptoms of PTSD as well as information about local treatment options and services. Discover more below.
Some resources that may help
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