For soldiers and members of the armed forces who were taught how to defend and kill but not how to cope with the emotional effects of war or terrorism, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a serious problem. Counseling has become necessary to help them get back on their feet.
If you are a veteran with PTSD, there are a number of things you need to know about PTSD and how counseling can help you.
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can result from experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Trauma can be defined as an event that causes intense fear, helplessness, or horror. In order to be diagnosed with PTSD, you must have been experiencing symptoms for at least one month following the traumatic event.
The symptoms may include:
● Intrusive thoughts about the trauma
● Flashbacks of the event
● Avoidance of reminders related to the trauma
While these symptoms may seem like just normal reactions to a stressful situation at first glance, they tend to persist long after the incident has passed; many people are diagnosed with PTSD years after their initial exposure to trauma.
What causes PTSD in Veterans?
It is likely that a combination of factors such as:
● Combat experiences: These can include exposure to combat, witnessing death or injury, and/or being held prisoner by the enemy.
● Other traumatic events: These may include childhood abuse / neglect, accidents, disasters (such as earthquakes), rape or other sexual assault, physical assault/abuse (including police violence), domestic violence, and natural catastrophes.
● Family history of mental illness or substance use disorders: People with a family history of psychiatric disorders appear to be at greater risk for developing PTSD after trauma than those without such a history. This may mean your chances are increased if someone close to you — such as your parent — has experienced PTSD before and has passed down their genetic makeup through genes that control moods and emotions.
What are the symptoms of PTSD in veterans?
● Flashbacks. This is a sudden and unwanted return to the traumatic event that causes you to feel like you’re reliving the experience.
● Nightmares. These are vivid, realistic dreams about the traumatic event that occurs more than once a week for longer than one month. They may cause you to wake up sweating or in fear, and they can be so disturbing that they interfere with your sleep patterns.
● Avoidance of things that remind you of the trauma, such as people, places, and situations
● Hyper-vigilant or being constantly “on guard” because you expect danger; feeling jumpy or easily startled by loud noises and sudden movements around you. This includes feeling like someone might do something harmful to you even when there’s no reason to believe this is true.
Counseling for treating PTSD
PTSD can be treated with therapy, which is a way of helping you to cope with your symptoms. It can also help with the underlying causes of PTSD, such as experiencing trauma during military service or being exposed to violence. Finally, counseling will give you the tools needed to cope and deal with other kinds of stress that might cause PTSD symptoms.
Also known as talk therapy or psychotherapy, counseling helps people deal with their problems in a healthy way by talking about them openly with someone who is trained in this area. Counseling for treating PTSD involves talking about your experiences and emotions related to what happened during your time in the military so that they don’t cause negative effects on your life now or later on down the road.
Veterans with PTSD should seek help from counselors experienced in treating PTSD. For more information on how to find a counselor who specializes in PTSD therapy, please contact us at your convenience.
Support the Holistic Counseling Center of Long Island on Reddit!
