How Do Ptsd Affect Families

Families dealing with a member suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be mentally affected. Some families have trouble with depression and addiction, others with psychological problems like guilt, anger, and sympathy. Not every case is the same due to the severeness of that person’s PTSD and what symptoms they are showing. According to the The National Institute of Mental Health, PTSD is “a disorder that develops in some people who have seen or lived through a shocking, scary, or dangerous event.” Symptoms could begin to occur within 3 months of the incident, or they might not develop until years after. Symptoms include re-experiencing, avoidance, arousal and reactivity, and cognition and mood symptoms. These conditions can become chronic but it is very rare. Re-experiencing symptoms are caused by the person’s own thoughts and feelings. This occurs when something reminds the person of that event, usually a specific word or object. When this happens, they might have flash backs of the event, frightening thoughts, or even bad dreams. Avoidance symptoms also occur when something reminds them of the event and causes them to change their daily traditions or plans. The person will stay away from different places if they feel reminded of the traumatic experience. They might start to feel emotionally numb or even strong guilt,
These symptoms consist of being easily startled, feeling tense, having difficulty sleeping, and have angry outbursts. This can also make eating and concentrating harder for them. Finally, there are cognition and mood symptoms, which can make a person feel detached from family and friends. They might have trouble remembering key parts of the event or negative feelings towards their selves or the world. It will give them distorted feelings like guilt or blame and they can again, lose interest in activities they once