We all experience unpleasant things from time to time. Illness, loss, dismissal. Unfortunately, it is sometimes unavoidable. With each individual, there is a difference between what is experienced as a sad, shocking or outright traumatizing event. Every person deals and reacts with this differently. Some of us experience painful and life-threatening situations such as assault, sexual abuse, a serious traffic accident, a fire, an attack or war violence. Post traumatic means: post = after, traumatic = shocking. Therefore, it literally means a disorder after or following a shocking event.

We speak of a post-traumatic stress disorder if complaints do not disappear after a shocking event and it is not possible to pick up the thread of normal life again. PTSD is an anxiety disorder and always the result of a trauma. One does not avoid the trauma itself, but the memory of it. Left untreated, the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder can last for a very long time. Among veterans of the Second World War, up to 25% of the soldiers still had complaints after 50 years. To regain a grip on your life, recognizing the symptoms of PTSD and treating them is of great importance. The best-known PTSD symptoms are:

– Re-experience – at random moments, the fear that you experienced during the trauma comes back in all its intensity. This can also occur in dreams or nightmares. The re-experience is usually very realistic and often evokes a great deal of fear. You can also experience physical complaints and start sweating, shaking or even hyperventilating.

– Avoidance – You desperately avoid all things that remind you of the trauma. You also avoid certain activities, places and people. You can also begin to suppress things.

– Fear & tension – the traumatic event is over but the fear and helplessness that you felt remains. You are extremely vigilant, frightened and easily irritated.