What comes to mind when you think of events that may be the cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Childbirth PTSD is different than other forms of PTSD as, unlike other trauma-related events, childbirth is an index event that is socially generally considered to be positive. But for many women, this event can also be a source of deep psychological trauma.
Aleiia Asmundson might just be the youngest person to have ever attended an ADAA conference. Her father, renowned Canadian psychologist and professor, Gordon J. G. Asmundson, PhD, brought his daughter to ADAA conferences when she was a toddler, which may have influenced her decision to follow in her father’s footsteps.
Firearm ownership is undoubtedly a risk factor for suicide. While it is not the only risk factor, it is a significant one and certainly the most lethal. Firearms are a common method of suicide in veterans with high rates of gun ownership.
How can we process inconceivable events and go about living our day to day lives? As a trauma and anxiety therapist, I am here to tell you that while it is extremely difficult, it is possible. Here are some suggestions for how to cope during these difficult times.
Fear is one of the six basic human emotions, with a clear evolutionary purpose: to help us respond to danger and survive. In Exposure Therapy, providers create a safe environment to intentionally “expose” their clients to objects, activities, or situations they fear.
Many years of research (much of which has been conducted by the authors of this post) have shown that people who try to avoid memories and reminders of difficult experiences have more symptoms of PTSD and depression, and other problems over time.
What happens in PTSD, is that the brain goes into the fight and flight mode and is constantly on alert to protect the person from recurrence of the highly dangerous experience. But the problem is that it cannot come down from that state of heightened arousal, even after leaving the dangerous situation, and coming back to the safe life environment.
If you’re wondering whether you or a loved one might be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there are some important things for you to know.
As the Executive Director of ADAA, I am always thrilled when we realize our work is making a difference and that we are reaching farther and wider. So, when the Hadassah Foundation, a mental health organization in Cameroon, contacted ADAA with a request to access our free member-created, publicly available, evidence-based resources, we not only acquiesced, we collaborated.
