Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Post: behind or after
• Traumatic: catastrophic or horrific event
• Stress: Seeing or living through an event that caused or threatened serious harm or death.
• Disorder: pathological condition of mind or body

PTSD: Shatters our basic assumption about the world and our safety leaving one feeling alienated or distrustful.

Three in ten Americans experience PTSD and it is treatable!

Post Combat Stress (PCS): long term reactions to combat and operational exposure that can lead to a mental health diagnosis of PTSD.

Symptoms: Reliving the event, avoiding situations that remind of event, feeling numb or keyed up

• Intrusive memories might include daytime fantasies, traumatic nightmares, and even vivid breaks with reality.
• Vivid flashbacks of experience or bad dreams.
• Insomnia and irritability.
• Avoiding thoughts and situations that remiond them of the trauma.
• Angry outbursts and withdrawing emotionally.

Treatment

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy teaches different ways of thinking and reacting to the events that trigger the symptoms to bring them under control. To understand that the traumatic event you lived through was not your fault.
• Group Therapy is sharing with others who have had a similar experience. Universality. Learn to focus on present instead of being overwhelmed by the past.
• Psychotherapy heps to identify triggers for stressful memories, ways to cope, become more aware of thoughts and feelings so you can change your responses to them, raise self esteem.