PTSD can start after any traumatic event. A traumatic event is one where we can see that we are in danger, our life is threatened, or where we see other people dying or being injured. Some typical traumatic events can be:
- seriou
s accidents - military combat
- being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness
- being taken hostage
- terrorist attack
- being a prisoner-of-war
- natural or man-made disasters
- violent personal assault (sexual assault, physical attack, abuse, robbery, mugging)
The symptoms of PTSD can start immediately or after a delay of weeks or months but not usually beyond six months of the trauma.
Many people feel grief-stricken, depressed, anxious, guilty and angry after a traumatic experience. Frequent common symptoms are:
- Flashbacks or nightmares of re-experiencing the trauma
- Avoidance of people, places, and things that they associate with the original event
- Difficulty concentrating or sleeping
- Closely watching surroundings, being ‘on- guard’ (hypervigilance)
- Irritability and diminished feelings or aspirations for the future
We all have unpleasant or disturbing memories but they don’t interfere with our day to day lives. Successful treatment for PTSD with hypnotherapy and EFT is designed to desensitise the traumatic memory and enable a return to a state to be able to function well in day to day life without the distress previously experienced.
