PTSD: Living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
From Trauma to Triumph: Navigating the Challenges of Living with PTSD and Finding Healing
When I think about trauma and the different types of trauma we face; sexual abuse, the sudden death of a loved one, suicide, domestic violence, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, childhood neglect & family harm, to name a few, I’m starting to wonder if there’s anyone alive who hasn’t been affected by at least one of these events.
Trauma permanently changes who we are and how we feel; trauma re-wires our thinking and can change our behaviours and reactions on the back of one single event or compounding events. Trauma creates triggers, anxiety, depression and a heightened fight/flight or freeze response.
A few years ago, I was diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). This is a label in the DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual), which is the “big book” health professionals use to diagnose mental health disorders. It seems many people are given this umbrella label for many reasons.
When I thought about PTSD in the past, I had associated it with war vets who would duck for cover at the sound of fireworks or ex-police officers who had been held hostage and couldn’t face returning to the front line. Still, it’s a widespread diagnosis that many people live with and for many different reasons.
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