Trauma and PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by exposure to a traumatic event. A significant portion of the population in Israel is exposed to traumatic events, some of which reach life-threatening proportions. These may include terror attacks, traffic accidents, violent assault, sexual assault, disease within the family and more. Experiencing such a situation, or watching it unfold from the sidelines, creates within many of us feelings of fear, helplessness, and sometimes rage against the world, for suddenly becoming so threatening and unpredictable.

In most cases the event will live on in our awareness for some time, but with the help of family and friends, most people will manage to process the event and be able to return to normal daily functioning. However, quite a number of people will suffer from post-traumatic symptoms and will go on to develop (PTSD). People who suffer from PTSD experience great difficulty in the aftermath of the traumatic event, which continues to affect their daily life, long after the event has subsided. In many cases persons suffering from PTSD suffer from many symptoms that interfere with the normal flow of life. They may experience flashbacks of the event feeling that it is recurring again and again. Nightmares, difficulty concentrating and constant anxiety are additional symptoms of this disorder.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is extremely distressing and difficult for both the person suffering from it, and for those living with him or her. It's as though a person wakes up every morning to the same trauma – constantly reliving the traumatic event every hour of the day. Learning about the various symptoms of PTSD can help you determine if you, or someone close to you may be suffering from PTSD. Effective treatment of this disorder exists, and there is no reason to continue suffering alone.

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