The Little Blue Book

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PTSD 1 Signs and symptoms can vary in intensity and in disablement; they may appear immediately after the experience of a traumatic event or disappear ‘underground’ in the sufferer, to reappear months or even years afterwards. Some common symptoms are: • Flashbacks, intense recurring memories re-living and replaying the traumatic event • Sleeplessness, disordered sleep patterns and vivid nightmares • Tearfulness, intense emotional or physical reactions, sweating, heart palpitations or easily-triggered feelings of panic • Hyper-vigilance, easily startled, intensely alert and emotionally wound up (with a ‘hair trigger’ fight-or-flight reflex) • Problems concentrating, distracted and withdrawn (at work and at home) • Social isolation: avoiding or cutting-off friends and family, emotionally numb, feeling joyless and detached • Avoiding activities, places, people, thoughts or feelings associated with the traumatic event • Loss of enjoyment in life; loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed or engaged in. 1 Closing-off Some PTSD sufferers ‘close-off’, giving few outward signs of the disorder and the deep private pain that they carry inside. Sometimes, outwardly well, they may continue to function normally until ‘the cards collapse’ – a relapse triggered by a crisis, a family upset, or some event that re-opens the psychological wound – and the anxiety and pain is flushed to the surface. The increased risk of chronic depression, self-harm and suicide that comes with PTSD, can be particularly acute for the silent sufferers. “According to Queensland-based charity, Walking Wounded, since 1999 (to 2016), 49 soldiers have been killed while on active duty, 239 veterans have taken their own lives.” 2 For people in high-stress roles, or with risk of exposure to potentially traumatic events, there is an enhanced duty of care carried by the employer to protect, as much as is practically possible, their psychological and emotional wellbeing. There is a similar enhanced ‘duty of vigilance’. And, should an individual be exposed to trauma or prolonged stress, to provide the support, counselling and clinical supervision such as they need to return to good health. The fact is that depression, thoughts of suicide and suicide rates are higher for ‘first responders’ than for the general community. 3 (This concurs with US studies published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.) 4 But, while improving, we don’t do as well as we might in providing the support needed to PTSD survivors, nor in monitoring the mental health and welfare of those exposed to trauma, nor in identifying at-risk individuals (with only a small percentage of emergency workers who suicided having had a formal diagnosis of depression). 5 Did you know? ! RECOGNISING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND OTHER DISORDERS 66