By: Sara E. Teller
The condition known as posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is certainly most commonly associated with soldiers. Those who have gone overseas and fought for our country often return with mental scars that can make adjusting back to traditional, civilian life quite difficult. Those soldiers deserve as much support and care as they can be provided, to help them live a happy and healthy life in the aftermath of their service.
But it’s not only soldiers who deal with PTSD. This is a condition that can affect anyone who goes through trauma, whether it is on the battlefield or not. Let’s take a look at some of the basics of how PTSD can impact civilians and what can be done to help these individuals.
What is PTSD?
First, let’s take a moment to review what posttraumatic stress disorder is, and why it’s such a difficult condition to live with. Whether it’s a civilian or a soldier, PTSD is exactly as the name suggests – it’s a collection of symptoms that can occur in the aftermath of a traumatic event. In the case of a soldier, that traumatic event could be watching a fellow soldier be killed in battle or being injured in a conflict. Those are just two of countless possible examples of how soldiers can wind up with this condition.
In civilian life, the savage events of a battlefield are not likely to be encountered. But things that happen outside of war can still be traumatizing, such as being abused by a partner in a relationship or surviving a scary incident like a car crash or fire. There are no rules for what qualifies as a trauma, as many different types of events can trigger PTSD symptoms.
The Many Impacts of PTSD
For a civilian who has been through a trauma, the symptoms of PTSD can take on many forms. Some of the possible symptoms include the following –
- Relieving the event over and over again, at random times throughout the day.
- Actively avoiding situations that remind the individual of the trauma they experienced.
- Changes in mood are common, with the affected individual feeling depressed, anxious, and generally detached from those around them.
- Struggling to get consistent, restful sleep.
- Engaging in destructive behavior like drug or alcohol abuse.
It’s important to note that someone dealing with PTSD isn’t necessarily going to exhibit consistent symptoms day after day. There are likely to be periods when the person is doing well and not having many symptoms related to the condition. Then, at other times, the symptoms can be strong and virtually debilitating. Sometimes, a noise can trigger a flashback, or even seeing something out in public that reminds the individual of the event might send them back into a negative frame of mind.
Getting Support
With soldiers, it is commonly seen that those affected by PTSD want to deal with the issue on their own, thinking it would be a sign of weakness to seek help for the condition. That’s not true, of course, and the same line of thinking needs to be avoided with civilians as well.
There are many potential benefits of working together with a professional to address the signs of PTSD. As a good rule of thumb, if the thoughts and fears someone is experiencing related to a traumatic experience are starting to interfere with their ability to get through the day and enjoy life, it’s a good idea to see a medical professional. PTSD is a relatively common condition and treatments are available to help alleviate the symptoms.
It’s particularly important to get help right away if any suicidal thoughts are experienced. Even someone who seems to be doing well overall can slip into a depression when triggered and wind up considering self-harm. In that case, getting help as soon as possible is critical to regain perspective on the situation and get back on a path to improved mental health.
Soldiers and Civilians Both Deserve Support
PTSD is not something to be ignored. It can lead to some very serious consequences when left untreated, so be sure to seek help either for yourself or for someone important to you. There is plenty of hope for life beyond the walls that PTSD can impose, and finding that brighter future may depend on getting assistance from the right people.
It doesn’t matter if your PTSD originated on a battlefield far from home, or from a traumatic experience in your own house, the same symptoms can develop and treatment is the best option to get life in order once again. Start today by considering options for yourself or a loved one and see the light at the end of the tunnel start to appear.