Living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

08 August 2022

After experiencing a traumatic event, it’s extremely common for people to feel stressed, anxious and depressed. However, with the right support and a healthy amount of self-care, many are able to find their way back to their previous selves.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. When a person is unable to move on from experiencing or witnessing trauma, they might be suffering from a condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This can present itself soon after the event or years later, and often manifests as intrusive thoughts, nightmares or severe anxiety.

Other symptoms of PTSD include:

Flashbacks, in which you relive or replay the experience over and over again
Avoidance of anything that reminds you of the event
Experiencing a sense of hopelessness
Feeling depressed or detached from reality
Addiction to drugs or alcohol
Sleep disturbance and nightmares
Compulsive behaviour such as mental or physical rituals, carried out in an attempt to control your surroundings and prevent bad things from happening

The mental turmoil of PTSD can take a huge tole a person’s daily life and relationships, which in turn often makes the sufferer feel even more alone. By recognising these effects, you can take the first step towards getting help and unravelling the tangled strings of PTSD.

Personal Relationships

Because PTSD can have a profound effect on a person, the changes are often noticed by the individual’s friends and family members. Sufferers may become withdrawn, angry or excessively anxious - which unsurprisingly impacts their personal relationships and causes those closest to them to feel burnt out and overwhelmed.

Work

Many people living with PTSD experience problems with concentration, stress and sleep quality, which can directly impact workplace performance and overall morale. Some people may accumulate a lot of absence from their roles, and others may find themselves unable to face work all together.

Social Life

People who suffer from PTSD can experience social isolation as a result of avoiding people or places that remind them of their trauma. If someone was involved in a road accident, for instance, they may actively avoid being in or around cars and roads which in turn can damage their social lives and restrict their personal freedom.

Understanding PTSD Triggers

Something that makes PTSD particularly difficult to manage is the associated triggers, which can creep up when remembering the trauma or being exposed to sensory experiences that remind you of the trauma. These triggers have the ability to place you right back at the event and can make you feel as though you’re re-living the experience all over again.

PTSD triggers can take many forms, including sights, sounds, smells and even tastes. They can also be situational, or caused by specific words and phrases. By recognising the triggers associated with your traumatic experience, you can use a variety of coping strategies to reduce their impact and manage your response.

Practice mindfulness and deep breathing

By focusing on the present moment, you can become better equipped to quiet your anxious thoughts and stop ruminating on the past and the future. The National Centre for PTSD also reports that mindfulness “has been shown to help with symptoms of PTSD, such as avoidance and hyperarousal,” which could be beneficial for keeping your social life and personal relationships on track.

To get started, simply focus on your breath as you inhale and exhale slowly and deeply. Think about the sensations you can hear, see or feel and allow any thoughts to enter your mind without trying to avoid them or giving them too much attention.

Form supportive connections

Group-based trauma treatments can be really useful for managing PTSD as they provide a safe space to share your experiences, meet and learn from other survivors, form supportive relationships and help you feel less alone.

Write it down

By keeping note of your tiggers and the associated feelings, you can begin to spot patterns that may help you notice these triggers before they happen or manage them when they do. PTSD UK states that, “Often, people who write things down also find it deescalates emotional reactions. Something that felt overwhelming and terrible is clarified and put into context when put into words.” You can start this cathartic process by using a diary, a notepad or just a scrap of paper to help process your thoughts and clear your mind.

If you or someone you know is suffering with PTSD and your employer offers Vivup’s Employee Assistance Programme, there are lots of useful resources and downloadable workbooks to help you manage your wellbeing and map out your recovery process. You can also access a 24-hour telephone helpline for responsive, confidential and totally independent advice should you or a colleague need mental health support.