Post Traumatic Stress Syndromeby Sibyl McLendon

We all went through a traumatic event last week. Something unthinkable happened, and it touched us all in ways that we never dreamt were possible. We have all been filled with feeling of grief, horror, and extreme sadness. That is normal and expected in the face of the events of last week.

Now the country is slowly attempting to get back to work, to move on as best as we can. I have concerns, however, that some of us will have more trouble moving on than others. Some of us have been affected in ways that we do not understand, and more deeply than we have ways of coping with. In times such as these, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome may have crept into our lives.

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, PTSS, is the emotional response that many people have to overwhelming traumatic events. It creeps over our lives, and leaves us lost in a maze of disfunctional emotions and pain. If you, or anyone you know, is experiencing the following problems, and does not seem to be getting better, PTSS may be the problem:

shock
terror
irritability
blame
anger
guilt
grief or sadness
emotional numbing
helplessness
loss of pleasure derived from familiar activities
difficulty feeling happy
difficulty feeling loving
impaired concentration
impaired decision making ability
memory impairment
disbelief
confusion
nightmares
worry
dissociation (e.g., tunnel vision, dreamlike or "spacey" feeling)
fatigue, exhaustion
insomnia
headaches
gastrointestinal upset
decreased appetite
decreased libido
social withdrawal
impaired work performance
impaired school performance
decreased satisfaction
distrust

PTSS can manifest as any combination of the above symptoms. While it is very reasonable to be terribly upset by the attacks, it should not reasonable to allow these events to permanently affect us to such a degree that we can not get past it. There is help. It may be time to seek professional assistance. There are any number of agencies that can assist people who are showing possible PTSS symptoms, for little or no cost. Pick up the phone and make some calls. Get help for yourself, your friend or loved one. Time will not heal PTSS, it will just get worse. Here are two on line sites that have helpful lists of available resources:

http://www.ptsd.com/
http://mentalhelp.net/guide/trauma.htm

Do it now. The best response to the events of last week is to emerge stronger.

Sibyl McLendon


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