Scared that you have PTSD? Symptoms, treatments and all you need to know about the disease

Do you feel on edge? Do the nightmares keep coming back? Do sudden noises make you jump? Are you staying at home more and more? Could you have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

PTSD is a mental health problem that people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault.
During this kind of event, you may not have any control over what's happening, and you may feel very afraid.

It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. Fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to help defend against danger or to avoid it. 

This “fight-or-flight” response is a typical reaction meant to protect a person from harm. Nearly everyone will experience a range of reactions after trauma, yet most people recover from initial symptoms naturally. Those who continue to experience problems may be diagnosed with PTSD.

Signs and Symptoms of PTSD

While most but not all traumatized people experience short-term symptoms, the majority do not develop ongoing (chronic) PTSD. Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event.
Other symptoms can be 
1. Intrusive Thoughts
2. Nightmares
3. Avoiding Reminders of the Event
4. Memory Loss
5. Negative Thoughts About Self and the World
6. Self-Isolation; Feeling Distant
7. Anger and Irritability
8. Reduced Interest in Favorite Activities
9. Hypervigilance
10. Difficulty Concentrating
11. Insomnia
12. Vivid Flashbacks
13. Avoiding People, Places, and Things Related to the Event
14. Casting Blame
15. Difficulty Feeling Positive Emotions
16. Exaggerated Startle Response
17. Risky Behaviors

Treatments for PTSD

Researchers have dramatically increased their understanding of what causes PTSD and how to treat it. Hundreds of thousands of Veterans who served in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard have gotten treatment for PTSD and found significant relief from their symptoms.
There are mainly two types of treatments that are effective for treating PTSD: counseling and medication. Professional therapy or counseling can help you understand your thoughts and reactions and help you learn techniques to cope with challenging situations. Research has shown several specific types of counseling to be very effective for treating PTSD. Medications can also be used to help reduce tension or irritability or to improve sleep. 

Different therapies help treat this Disorder

Cognitive Processing Therapy
CPT is a 12-week course of treatment, with weekly sessions of 60-90 minutes.
At first, you'll talk about the traumatic event with your therapist and how your thoughts related to it have affected your life. Then you'll write in detail about what happened. This process helps you examine how you think about your trauma and figure out new ways to live with it.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy
If you've been avoiding things that remind you of the traumatic event, PE will help you confront them. It involves eight to 15 sessions, usually 90 minutes each.
Early on in treatment, your therapist will teach you breathing techniques to ease your anxiety when you think about what happened. Later, you'll make a list of the things you've been avoiding and learn how to face them, one by one. In another session, you'll recount the traumatic experience to your therapist, then go home and listen to a recording of yourself.
Doing this as "homework" over time may help ease your symptoms.

Medications help you stop thinking about and reacting to what happened, including having nightmares and flashbacks. They can also help you have a more positive outlook on life and feel more "normal" again.

Disclaimer- Consult your doctor if you face any of the above symptoms.