There is such a thing as wellness. It means that state when a person is doing fine in all areas of life. You have to analyze the state of a person in various areas before concluding that the person has attained wellness.
Some of the areas that should be analyzed include physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, financial, and several others. The problem is that many people are concerned about superficial areas and leave out the others.
In this context, we have come to realize how many people are concerned about wellness dimensions such as the physical and financial. Unfortunately, they do not pay much attention to emotional and mental wellbeing as a whole.
You are to avoid this to attain wellness in every sense of the word. We will like to stress the need to ensure that our mental health is intact in this article. We will be more particular about the mental condition known as PTSD.
This is because many people turn a blind eye to mental health until things go terribly wrong. Just so you know, statistics from a reputable source have shown that more people deal with mental health complications than many of us know. For more on this subject, you can visit: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness
What Is PTSD?
PTSD is the short form of the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As the name suggests, it is a mental complication that happens as a result of a traumatic experience(s).
Various organizations that are particular about mental health awareness have been teaching on the subject of PTSD for a while now. For the most part, the subject is usually raised when war veterans are involved.
This is because these uniformed men and women who have seen horrific things on the battlefield are vulnerable to having this mental problem. However, you should know that PTSD is still real in this day and age, even among people who are not in the military.
Who Is Vulnerable to PTSD?
Military personnel who have had combative experiences in war-torn regions are most vulnerable to this mental complication. The reason is that the horrific scenes they have seen and have been a part of are capable of affecting their sanity.
But as explained above, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is not something exclusive to war veterans alone. Regular individuals can also have this mental health complication in varying degrees.
We have even gathered that animals can also have this condition. For instance, some military dogs end up with this condition after their service. Some of the reasons people for this mental health complication include the following:
Death of a Beloved Person
We all have persons that mean so much to us. Some of these people play very important roles in our lives and we cannot afford to lose them.
Well, people that experienced the death of a beloved person can end up with this complication. This is especially if the situation that led to the death of the person was horrific. But even if it was not, there is still a chance that people who have lost a beloved person can have this condition.
This is why it is important to keep an eye on such people. Make sure they are sane enough and not showing signs suggestive of PTSD. You should make sure they seek professional help if they are.
Serious Accident
People that have experienced a serious accident can end up with this condition. This might be because they have been rendered redundant in one way or the other. It could also be because they have difficulty forgetting the terrible event and moving past it.
Violent Assault
We have heard some people claim PTSD is something that only adults are vulnerable to. This is not true and you need to be careful about where you get your facts from.
As a matter of fact, children that have seen and have been personally assaulted can have this condition. For instance, rape and physical abuse are high-ranking reasons children end up with this condition. We have even come across children that developed this condition because of peer treatment in school.
This is why parents need to be very observant and open to solutions from professionals. Also, adults that have been violently assaulted can have this mental condition.
War and Violence
We have stressed how military personnel with combative experience are vulnerable. Well, you should know that people who are also caught up in the mess that comes with war and violence are affected.
This is why we advise administrators at refugee camps and shelters to take the knowledge of PTSD seriously. They need to understand the signs of this condition and reach out to the right professionals if need be.
Natural Disaster
With natural disasters come death, accidents, and many other traumatic experiences. So, it is not surprising that it is one of the reasons some people have PTSD.
It is therefore important for people that have been affected by a natural disaster to pay attention to this. While they strategize on how to get their lives back on track financially and materially, they should pay conscious attention to their mental health.
Possible Signs of PTSD
The truth is that many mental complications share the same symptoms. This is why it is important for people that experience these signs to see a professional. This is so that they will be diagnosed and a recovery plan set in motion. However, some of the known symptoms of PTSD include the following:
Social Isolation
Just so you know, there is a connection between social interaction and sanity. While some people can be very reserved and particular about having their ‘me’ time, a bit of social interaction is needed to remain sane. This is why some felons that spend too much time in isolation end up insane.
Well, professionals have come to realize many people with PTSD avoid social interaction. They keep to themselves and show signs of hostility, agitation, hyper-vigilance, and irritability.
Self-Destructive Actions
We strongly suggest that people who have this symptom see a professional quickly. This is because the mental condition can degenerate into something more critical if it is not addressed on time. For instance, people with this condition can become self-destructive if they do not get the psychological and medical help they need.
Some persons can even become destructive to their immediate family and community at large. For more on this subject, you can check here.
Frequent Suspicion
People that develop this mental problem as a result of physical or sexual abuse are more likely to show this sign. A rape or physically abused victim that has this condition will likely have trust issues.
This is especially to the class of persons that have caused them the nightmare. Although it is not abnormal at the initial stages for such people to show mistrust, the suspicion of people with this condition is so intense and does not go away.
Nightmare and Sleep-Related Problems
For many PTSD patients, sleep is a luxury. The thought of what the night holds for them is scary and causes fear.
This is especially the time that they are unable to deal with the situation. The reason is that they have flashbacks of the traumatic experience(s) which causes fear and severe anxiety.
Conclusion
Mental health should be taken very seriously. We should not wait until things get out of hand before we reach out to the professionals.
This is why we have discussed PTSD in this article and hope that you take your mental health and those around you seriously. We strongly advise people that have gone through any of the traumatic experiences listed above or showing the aforementioned signs to seek professional help.
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