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PTSD: Women 2X the Rate of Men

While most people associate the term PTSD more closely with those seeing military action, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has affected over 30 million adults in the U.S. who have not experienced military service. Both men and women develop PTSD; however, women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with PTSD. Approximately 1 out of every 10 adult women will face PTSD.

What’s Normal and what’s PTSD

After living through a traumatic event, it is normal to display some of the symptoms of PTSD. It is not uncommon to feel numb, crazy, disconnected, fearful and distrustful. Bad dreams and inability to stop dwelling on the event is also normal. Depending on the impact of the traumatic situation, “PTSD symptoms” may last for a few days, weeks or even months however they slowly decrease over time – with PTSD you do not start to feel better – you start to feel worse.

PTSD Symptoms

PTSD can affect the victim, police officers, emergency medical personnel, neighbors, or family and friends of the victim. PTSD is experienced differently by everyone, however there are three main types of symptoms that are reported for PTSD:

Re-experiencing the traumatic event over and over in your mind

  1. Flashbacks about event
  2. Nightmares
  3. Upsetting memories that impact your function and relationships
  4. Intense distress or fear
  5. Physical reactions such as pounding heart, sweating, nausea, shortness of breath

Avoiding reminders of the event and feeling numb

  1. Loss of interest in normal routine, activities and life
  2. Avoiding thoughts, feelings and places that remind you of the traumatic event
  3. Poor to no ability to remember details of the situation
  4. Feeling numb and detached from the world around you
  5. Sense of impending doom or that something bad will happen

Increased anxiety and emotional turmoil

  1. Sleep problems
  2. Feeling irritable or having outbursts of anger
  3. Problems concentrating or focusing
  4. Feeling on edge, jumpy, and tense
  5. Feeling like you are constantly on “red alert” for doom and gloom

PTSD Psychiatric Treatment

Other common PTSD symptoms may also include depression, guilt, feeling all alone in the world, having physical aches and pains, having suicidal thoughts, developing a substance abuse habit, or feeling betrayed. PTSD may have common symptoms but each case is unique, requiring an experienced psychiatrist to develop a treatment plan for your own individual experiences and symptoms.

Atlanta PTSD Help

If you think you have PTSD seek help as soon as you can. There is help for overcoming PTSD and getting your life back to normal. Call the office for an appointment today.

 

About Darvin Hege

Dr. Darvin Hege has 25 years of experience dealing with adult patients who have adhd, bipolar disorders, drug addictions, panic attacks, depression, stress, and other mental health disorders. He offers evening and weekend office hours at his Atlanta, GA practice. Call today at 770 458-0007 for an evaluation for relief of your psychiatric disorders and for help deciding the most effective and safest treatment.

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