PTSD, What It Is and The Path Forward

Dec 05, 2018

Months have past since you've experienced the most horrific event of your life, yet you still can't escape the nightmares that haunt you every night, all night. The slightest sights, smells, or sounds can trigger the memory that brings you right back to that fateful moment when everything changed and the world ceased to exist as you used to know it. Your new normal is a life consumed by fear, depression, regret, guilt, anxiety, shame and more. If these feelings and experiences relate to you, it's possible you could be suffering from a condition known as PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

PTSD is a condition which can sometimes develop following life-threatening or traumatic events we witness or experience in our lives. People in all walks of life are affected by this disorder, in the United States we currently have "approximately 44.7 million people who were or are struggling with PTSD". This condition can develop as result of working as a first responder, being a combat veteran, experiencing a natural disaster, surviving abuse and/or neglect, or even the sudden loss of a loved one. Post-traumatic stress disorder impacts children, men and women for a multitude of reasons and symptoms can vary day to day and person to person, which can make dealing with this condition challenging for the ones suffering with it, as well as the ones who love them though it. Even though sufferers of PTSD and their loved ones can be overwhelmed with the enormity of this condition and its symptoms, as well as the event which caused it, there is hope at the end of this very difficult tunnel.

The first step in overcoming PTSD is acknowledging that you've experienced trauma and reaching out for help. Everyone in life needs help at some point and it takes a very strong individual to realize this and seek out the help that is needed. A licensed therapist can work with you to decide which of the proven therapies and techniques can help you on your personal journey to healing as you forge your unique path forward into a life beyond PTSD.

If you reside in California, in the areas of Fresno, Oakhurst, Visalia, or Kingsburg and think you may be suffering from PTSD, please contact us to see if we can be of service to you.