If you have been through an event that was life-threatening, like a natural disaster, military combat, severe accident, terrorist attack, or a personal assault like rape, there are chances that you might suffer from a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after the ordeal.
The majority of the sufferers get normal after a period of time, but there are some that start suffering from stress reactions that cannot be treated on their own with time. Moreover, they can even get worse with the passage of time. These patients can be suffering from PTSD. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Flashbacks, nightmares, difficulty in sleeping, emotional numbness, etc. are some of the symptoms of PTSD. At times these symptoms can be very severe, and can also start interfering with your daily routine causing trouble for you as well as others around you.
Moreover, PTSD is also known to cause some very clear psychological and physical symptoms, like substance abuse, depression, memory problems, and a number of other mental and physical problems. It is many a times associated with your family or social life, including marital problems, unstable occupation, difficulty in being a parent, and family discord. If left untreated for long, the condition will get very severe with time.
If you are suffering from PTSD, remember that you can be alright and this is certainly not the end of the world in any way. The solution is to get yourself diagnosed as soon as possible to start the treatment as soon as possible.
If you believe that you are suffering from PTSD, the following resources can be very useful for you-
ONLINE RESOURCES
The Mental Health Self Assessment Program by the DoD is a referral program which is specifically designed for serviceman and their family members that are affected negatively by the deployment as well as mobilization.
This program is offered by phone, online, and also through the various events that take place at the reserve and installation units. Anonymous assessment is available for a variety of conditions like, bipolar disorder, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety, and alcohol use. At the end of the assessment, the individuals are provided with TriCare, Military OneSource and CetCenters.
CENTER FOR PTSD
There is also a center that is developed within the Department of Veterans Affairs to take the medical care and welfare further through the research, training related to the science, education, and various treatments for PTSD and various other stress-related disorders. You can visit their website at www.ptsd.va.gov.
MILITARY ONE SOURCE
This is another free service that is provided by the DoD for 24-hours a day. This service can be used by active Reserve and Duty members as well as their families. The consultants working at the Military OneSource will provide you with a lot of information and will also make a number of referrals based on your problems. You can call them at 1-800-342-9647, or by visiting their website at www.militaryonesource.mil.
