Trauma can have a profound effect on a person both physically and mentally. Warning signs of PTSD can be an important factor in helping someone struggling to get professional care. They can also get the support that they need to heal and live a fulfilling life again.
However, providing support, and encouraging someone who is struggling with PTSD to seek professional help is crucial to heal from their trauma. Getting better, and healing is possible with the right care and support.
How Does PTSD Start?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a condition that is the result of experiencing some form of trauma. It affects a person’s ability to cope with stressors, leading to physical and psychological responses that are unhealthy and hindering. PTSD stems from experiencing some form of trauma.
This can include:
- Car accidents
- Unhealthy or toxic relationships
- Natural disasters
- Physical, sexual or emotional abuse
- Witnessing or experiencing violence
- The sudden death of a loved one
Any situation that sparks intense fear, helplessness, or horror can result in trauma leading to PTSD. The effects that trauma can have on a person can be severe. As a result, this makes it difficult to process the traumatic events and regulate emotional responses surrounding it. It is important to note not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD. However, those who do should seek professional help and guidance to learn to cope.
Early PTSD Signs
When a person develops PTSD, there can be some intense and debilitating symptoms. When they occur, they can hinder their ability to live daily life in a healthy and productive manner. Early warning signs of PTSD can help to identify there is a problem, and lead to solutions being sought out.
Some signs that can be indicative of potential PTSD can include vivid flashbacks of the traumatic events, emotional numbness, sleep problems, avoiding reminders of the events, memory and concentration problems, or hypervigilance. When these symptoms are persistent, and more than 1 is exhibited, this can be an indicator that a person may be struggling with PTSD.
PTSD Risk Factors
There are several factors that can increase a person’s risk of developing PTSD after experiencing a traumatic event. These can include:
- Severity of the trauma: The more intense and life-threatening the event is, the higher the risk.
- Personal history: Someone who has experienced past trauma such as child abuse or neglect are at a higher risk of developing PTSD if they are re-traumatized in the same manner.
- Lack of support: Not having proper social and emotional support contributes to a lack of coping with trauma.
- Genetics: Some genetic factors can play a role in a person’s susceptibility to developing PTSD.
- Mental health: Pre-existing mental health conditions like depression and anxiety can contribute to a person developing PTSD after experiencing trauma.
PTSD Warning Signs
The warning signs of PTSD are crucial in identifying that someone is struggling. Identifying these signs can be a turning point in a person reaching out for much-needed help in coping with traumas. Things like intrusive thoughts, pessimism, dissociation, and difficulty maintaining personal relationships.
Other warning signs of PTSD include:
- Avoiding reminders of the trauma
- Hypersensitivity to loud noises
- Changes in responses to stressors
- Isolation
- Emotional instability
The Role of Trauma on Behavior and Relationships
Trauma can cause changes in a person’s ability to handle stress and perceived dangers. This can lead to strain on relationships and changes in behaviors. Because trauma has such a profound effect on a person’s brain and mental health, it can lead to isolation.
To add, they can also develop fears that are impactful on a person’s personal relationships. It can also cause personality changes that cause a person to behave in ways they wouldn’t have if they had not experienced trauma.
PTSD Treatment
Once the warning signs of PTSD have been identified and diagnosed, treatment can begin. Trauma therapy is an essential part of beginning to heal from trauma. Facing the trauma head-on, and learning positive coping skills can change the course of a person’s life after suffering trauma.
Other therapies that are beneficial in the treatment of trauma can include cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT. This form of therapy focuses on identifying negative and unhelpful thought processes and changing them into more positive and productive ones. Implementing this practice into daily life helps a person to deal with stressors in a healthy way that can help to prevent trauma response behaviors.
These behaviors can be detrimental and lead to negative results. However, changing to positive coping skills can help a person handle stressful situations in ways that won’t impact their life negatively.
Get the Help You Deserve for PTSD in Marietta, GA
Struggling with PTSD leads to severe impacts on a person’s overall well-being. It can make it extremely difficult to complete daily tasks and participate in enjoyable activities. The impacts that PTSD can have on a person are extreme and affect the mental health of individuals who have experienced trauma in drastic ways. Healing is possible.
If you or a loved one are struggling with PTSD, we can help. At Empowered Recovery Center, we offer help to individuals struggling with PTSD. Call us today and begin a journey of healing.
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