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A Traumatic Incident

The chances are that sometime in your life you may experience some kind of traumatic incident. This could range from a traffic incident, a house or building fire, a violent physical or sexual attack, to the extreme of a terrorist attack or natural disaster such as a tsunami. Hopefully, although the incident is terrifying and very distressing at the time or in the immediate aftermath, you will be able to cope without the experience causing lasting problems. Occasionally, however, you may encounter a trauma which affects you to such an extent that you are left with enduring feelings of intense fear or helplessness. While this is more likely as a result of a more extreme incident, Post-traumatic Stress symptoms can occur following less severe incidents, depending on how the incident was experienced by each individual at the time at which it occurred. If symptoms do not decrease over time, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can develop. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be defined as a response to an emotionally triggering event which is outside the range of normal human experience, is no respecter of age, culture or gender. The effects can last over a prolonged period and have a devastating effect on sufferers and their families. Symptoms of PTSD include intrusive thoughts and images, anxiety and panic and extreme avoidance. Sufferers struggle to engage in normal day to day life as it was before the incident, and relationships with friends and family are also affected. If the sufferer has also been bereaved as part of the traumatic incident, recovery is naturally more difficult. Please click here for further information.