Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Reality

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects people in all walks of life. They are people who have been a victim of a crime, abused, involved in a natural disaster, or a war. Anything that is very traumatic can induce PTSD. The person with PTSD feels like they are always on the edge. It's as if the fight or flight reflex all humans possess is in overdrive.

Since perception creates reality, for the PTSD sufferer a need for extreme self protection is real and should not be dismissed by friends or family members. Telling a PTSD sufferer to just “get over it” or they need to learn to “move past it” is like telling them their reality doesn’t count. They are stuck in that reality and need love, understanding, and professional help.

Many children who grew up in abusive or dysfunctional homes suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. This is their reality. Maybe you are one of them. Maybe you don't even realize that you have a heightened sense of self protection that others don’t have, and this feeling is impeding your ability to relate to others, to create success in your life, and even find your true purpose and aim.

Only a professional can diagnose PTSD and should treat this disorder, but studying how people with the disorder behave, and why, can go far in helping many people understand the lasting impact that trauma or prolonged exposure to dysfunction in early childhood has on behaviors in adult life. So consider:

• Do you overreact to conflict by withdrawing or attacking?
• Do you self medicate with alcohol or other drugs?
• Do you feel detached from those around you?
• Do you find it hard to concentrate?
• Do you act impulsively?
• Do you feel guilty for no apparent reason?
• Do smells make you sick or frightened?
• Do you feel hopeless?

If you feel any of these feelings that you cannot explain or demonstrate these behaviors, it is possible that something from your past is blocking you from full enjoyment in life. It’s not always a clearly defined trauma causing the block. It could be prolonged exposure to dysfunctional behavior in the environment in which you lived.

It's up to you to uncover the trauma or prolonged exposure then heal the pain and then move past it. Unfortunately, no one can do that for you. You can move past it, but you have to bring light on it and awareness to it, whatever it is, to affect change. The first step for affecting change is to seek whatever professional help you need so you can create a new reality that does not continually leave you a victim of your past circumstances. This new reality is a life of hope. A life filled with purpose, excitement, and possibility.