Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is triggered by events that induce fear in the person by either witnessing it or by experiencing it. The event can be anything like rape, accident, war. PTSD was earlier only limited to men who went to war or served the country but over the years it’s been seen that women and even children can have it. PTSD can interfere in a person’s work life leading to flashbacks which they definitely do not want to remember. Sometimes the event witnessed is forgotten but a certain person or a place can trigger memories of the event and can lead to physiological arousal which are difficult to handle by the care takers. If one has lost a significant person in an event it becomes difficult to cope with the loss. They may have a sense of hopelessness and pessimistic thoughts begin to linger, they may have self- doubt and they may detach themselves completely from family and friends. Some even engage in self destructive behaviour like alcohol consumption and smoking. There are ways one can prevent these symptoms such as by talking to those who are good listeners and provide you with comfort and help you heal.The most common Treatment used is psychotherapy along with medication they help you get a grip on your life and help in every way possible. As an individual too one can engage in individual plus group therapy to better cope with it.

She walked with her father towards the market all chirpy and excited, it has been weeks she got out of the house. Living in a place like Kashmir where the condition of the locals is very fickle she knew it was a huge risk to go out. She was almost done shopping with her toys when they heard a loud blast nearby then another and another. Men in hooded clothes started running towards them with weapons in their hands to save her, her father pushed her in the dark alley only to be struck by a knife at his throat. She watched her father fall but did not have the strength to walk towards the body. Once it was all quite police came to pick up the bodies and found her sitting and sobbing they took her home but since that day she completely stopped talking. She gets nightmares about her father’s death but not a tear escapes her breath.

Awareness about the causes, symptoms, treatment should be put in the limelight to make people acknowledge the weightage of it.