Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Guide

Susan Cody HERWriter Guide

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Symptoms, Causes and Risks

By EmpowHER November 16, 2011 - 8:42am
 
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We want to understand causes and triggers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is defined as the development of certain symptoms following a mentally stressful event that involved actual death or the threat of death, serious injury, or a threat to oneself or others.

This sometime insidious disorder can put a person at risk for other mental health conditions such as depression, substance abuse (drug, alcohol, foods) eating disorders or even suicidal thoughts. This happens because PTSD can interrupt a person’s ability to conduct normal daily activities like going to work, managing family responsibilities or other activities.

There is great stress in dealing with the categories of behavior: hyper-anxious state, reliving the event, intrusive memories or bad dreams, and finally avoidance and numbing behaviors to prevent intrusive memories. This can deplete the body of essential nutrients and affect hormone and other chemical reactions in the body.

http://www.empowher.com/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/content/treat...

 
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We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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