Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD is an anxiety disorder that is triggered by a traumatic event.
People often think of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as a disorder that only occurs in those exposed to war. Although, very common among people who have experienced war, it is also very common among other populations of people. Some of these are people who have suffered Sexual Truama (long term, short term, as an adult or child), Domestic Violence, Complex Death, Medical Trauma (as a patient, family member, or hospital staff), Crime, and any other trauma. The trauma may have occurred to the individual or it may have been witnessed.
Almost all people will experience an adjustment period after the traumatic event, however some will carry symptoms months or years thereafter.
Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder can be (however all do not need to be present): Intrusive Memories, Avoidance and Numbing, and Hyperarousal. This can be broken down into subcategories, including flashbacks, nightmares, hypersensitive to sounds, increased worry and fear, checking exits for signs to get away easily, being overly aware of your surroundings, trying to avoid speaking of the event, feeling emotionally numb, memory issues, trouble concentrating, difficulty maintaining close relationships, overwhelming shame or guilt, trouble sleeping, self destructive behavior, irritability or anger.
If you can relate to the above symptoms and are desiring assistance to eliminate or significantly decrease your symptoms, please contact us to see if we are able to assist you through this process.
Tiffany Thorson has been trained in a one year, post Masters Degree program at the University of Washington, specifically on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The techniques used are research based and highly utilized at the University of Washington within their clinics.