Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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.

Thank You from ADAA Executive Director Susan Gurley.

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.  

Studies have shown a correlation with the development of PTSD and avoidance behaviors. In other words, the more one tries not to think about a traumatic event, resists revisiting a traumatic place, and avoids contact with any potential triggers of the traumatic event, the more likely one is to develop PTSD.

If your child has seen coverage of such an event, make sure you talk with them about what they think about it and how they think it impacts their life and the world around them.  

The key message for parents to convey after exposure to any type of trauma or violence is to ensure that your child feels safe and loved. This can be challenging given the frequency of these events.  Knowing what your child’s school is doing to address risk is important so that you can talk with your child and give them a safe home context as well.