What is PTSD?
Do you have flashbacks to a traumatic event? Do you have nightmares and extreme anxiety? Do you often relive a traumatic experience by playing it out in your head?
You may suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a serious, often life-threatening mental illness suffered from living through or witnessing a traumatic event. It can cause a wide variety of other mental illnesses.
If you know or suspect you have PTSD, it’s important you seek help to recover from PTSD. Contact Breaking Dawn Therapy at 734-457-1253 to start your healing journey with virtual therapy.
What Can Cause PTSD?
PTSD is caused by living through or witnessing a traumatic experience. For some people, only a single experience is enough to result in PTSD. Others live through a series of traumatic events before developing it.
The most common causes of PTSD include:
- Childhood trauma, like abuse, assault, or a parent’s substance abuse
- Loss of a loved one, especially from violent or sudden causes
- Military service, particularly from veterans in active combat duty
There are many other experiences that can cause PTSD. It’s important to work with your therapist to establish why you developed PTSD and what triggers it. From there, you can start the healing process.
PTSD from Childhood Trauma
The most common form of PTSD-inducing childhood trauma is violence and abuse. For most females, this means sexual assault or molestation. For most males, it takes the form of physical abuse.
PTSD can develop quickly after a traumatic event. Signs of PTSD in a child include:
- Depression and suicidal thoughts
- Poor body image
- Difficulty saying no to people
- Substance abuse or eating disorders
If you believe you or a child you know is suffering from PTSD, search for “counseling near me” and reach out to a therapist for help immediately.
PTSD from the Loss of a Loved One
Under certain conditions, the grief of losing a loved one can cause PTSD. Death is more likely to cause PTSD when any of the following occurs.
Violent Loss
Death from murder, a car accident, or other gruesome incidents can cause PTSD. This is even more likely if the patient was a witness to the death.
Loss During Childhood
If the death or disappearance occurred during childhood, it’s likely the PTSD sufferer feels a sense of abandonment.
Lack of Closure
When a loved one disappears or is killed without answers or information, the lack of closure can prevent a person from healing.
PTSD from Military Service
Veterans who actively engage in combat have a high risk of developing military PTSD. The onset of the illness becomes more likely if the veteran killed combatants or witnessed the death of a friend.
Outside of combat exposure, members of the military are more susceptible to PTSD if:
- They suffered sexual assault from a fellow service member or officer
- They operated under constant, extreme stress without relief
- They were deployed for an exceptionally long time or longer than expected
If you are a former or active military member who has experienced any of these situations, we recommend you seek help to recover from PTSD. Even if you don’t have symptoms, speaking to a therapist can be beneficial to your mental health.
Anxiety and Depression from PTSD
People who suffer from PTSD also frequently suffer from anxiety and depression. These illnesses can develop from the chemical imbalance that arises from traumatic experiences. They also develop from constant stress, feeling as though you are alone, or a lack of control over your symptoms.
While treating PTSD can help you manage your symptoms of anxiety and depression, the illnesses needs to be addressed separately as well.
If you’re suffering from symptoms of anxiety or depression, contact Breaking Dawn Therapy at 734-457-1253. Our licensed therapist can help you heal from your trauma.
Recovering & Addressing PTSD | Breaking Dawn Therapy | Michigan Online Therapy
You don’t need to feel alone. Whether you’ve been suffering from PTSD for years or your trauma is recent, getting help is the first step to recovering. Don’t wait to begin your healing journey.
Breaking Dawn Therapy is a compassionate, qualified, and holistic provider of online therapy in the State of Michigan. Your healing journey can start today, and we’ll be with you every step of the way.
If you’re ready to get the help you need and deserve, contact us at 734-457-1253 to schedule a consultation.
