Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after violence

If you have been abused or attacked, you may feel terribly afraid, confused, shocked, angry, or emotionally numb. Every woman is different, and all these feelings are natural.
Experiencing abuse or an attack can lead to serious mental health problems. Among of these posts traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common mental problem after violence.
Some abused women try using drugs, alcohol, smoking, or overeating to cope, but this can lead to greater physical and emotional problems. Sometimes, violence that happened long ago still can affect you. Even if many years have passed since you were abused, you still can get help from a mental health professional.
It's natural to be afraid when you're in danger. It's natural to be upset when something bad happens to you or someone you know. But if you feel afraid and upset weeks or months later, it's time to talk with your doctor. You might have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Living through or seeing something that's upsetting and dangerous can cause PTSD. This can include:

Being a victim of or seeing violence
The death or serious illness of a loved one
War or combat
Car accidents and plane
crashes
Hurricanes, tornadoes, and fires
Violent crimes, like a robbery or shooting
There are many other things that can cause PTSD. Talk to your doctor if you are troubled by something that happened to you or someone you care about. Your doctor can help you find out if you have PTSD. Call your doctor if you have any of these problems:

Bad dreams
Flashbacks, or feeling like the scary event is happening again
Scary thoughts you can't control
Staying away from places and things that remind you of what happened
Feeling worried, guilty, or sad
Feeling alone
Trouble sleeping
Feeling on edge
Angry outbursts
Thoughts of hurting yourself or others
PTSD starts at different times for different people. Signs of PTSD may start soon after a frightening event and then continue. Other people develop new or more severe signs months or even years later.
Occupational Therapy for PTSD
Occupational therapy involves helping the patient to set goals for their lives and developing strategies to achieve these goals. Throughout the process patients are aided in achieving maximum levels of participation and independence in their lives.
Patients with PTSD often experience difficulties in simple day-to-day activities and tend to become socially withdrawn. This results in a vast diminishment in quality of life.
The goal setting strategy of occupational therapy allows patients to deal with these difficulties and work through the feelings of anxiety that are preventing them for living their life to the full.
However, it has been recommended that occupational therapy take place in conjunction with medication and other forms of therapy. Although occupational therapy provides the patient with practical skills to increase their life satisfaction in the future it does not directly address the issues of the past.
Occupational therapy provides a good adjunct to talking therapies, however the benefits of talking therapies should not be underestimated.  
Occupational therapy is a particularly beneficial treatment for PTSD for several reasons. Firstly, it takes into account the person as a whole, as opposed to simply considering the anxiety they are experiencing due to PTSD.
The strategies that are taught during occupational therapy can be applied to novel situations throughout the patient's life, and occupational therapy works on improving conditions in all areas of the patient's life.
It plays a role in addressing community reintegration, social reconnections and work accommodations. These are areas in which PTSD sufferers experience particular difficulty.
Lastly, occupational therapy also involves family members of the patient, acknowledging the importance of social support.
This is particularly important for sufferers of PTSD who are known to face great relationship difficulties.

 

 

 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after violence

If you have been abused or attacked, you may feel terribly afraid, confused, shocked, angry, or emotionally numb. Every woman is different, and all these feelings are natural. Experiencing abuse or an attack can lead to serious mental health problems. Among of these posts traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common mental problem after violence. Some abused women try using drugs, alcohol, smoking, or overeating to cope, but this can lead to greater physical and emotional problems. Sometimes, violence that happened long ago still can affect you. Even if many years have passed since you were abused, you still can get help from a mental health professional. Its natural to be afraid when youre in danger. Its natural to be upset when something bad happens to you or someone you know. But if you feel afraid and upset weeks or months later, its time to talk with your doctor. You might have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Living through or seeing something thats upsetting and dangerous can cause PTSD. This can include: Being a victim of or seeing violence The death or serious illness of a loved one War or combat Car accidents and plane crashes Hurricanes, tornadoes, and fires Violent crimes, like a robbery or shooting There are many other things that can cause PTSD. Talk to your doctor if you are troubled by something that happened to you or someone you care about. Your doctor can help you find out if you have PTSD. Call your doctor if you have any of these problems: Bad dreams Flashbacks, or feeling like the scary event is happening again Scary thoughts you cant control Staying away from places and things that remind you of what happened Feeling worried, guilty, or sad Feeling alone Trouble sleeping Feeling on edge Angry outbursts Thoughts of hurting yourself or others PTSD starts at different times for different people. Signs of PTSD may start soon after a frightening event and then continue. Other people develop new or more severe signs months or even years later. Occupational Therapy for PTSD Occupational therapy involves helping the patient to set goals for their lives and developing strategies to achieve these goals. Throughout the process patients are aided in achieving maximum levels of participation and independence in their lives. Patients with PTSD often experience difficulties in simple day-to-day activities and tend to become socially withdrawn. This results in a vast diminishment in quality of life. The goal setting strategy of occupational therapy allows patients to deal with these difficulties and work through the feelings of anxiety that are preventing them for living their life to the full. However, it has been recommended that occupational therapy take place in conjunction with medication and other forms of therapy. Although occupational therapy provides the patient with practical skills to increase their life satisfaction in the future it does not directly address the issues of the past. Occupational therapy provides a good adjunct to talking therapies, however the benefits of talking therapies should not be underestimated. Occupational therapy is a particularly beneficial treatment for PTSD for several reasons. Firstly, it takes into account the person as a whole, as opposed to simply considering the anxiety they are experiencing due to PTSD. The strategies that are taught during occupational therapy can be applied to novel situations throughout the patients life, and occupational therapy works on improving conditions in all areas of the patients life. It plays a role in addressing community reintegration, social reconnections and work accommodations. These are areas in which PTSD sufferers experience particular difficulty. Lastly, occupational therapy also involves family members of the patient, acknowledging the importance of social support. This is particularly important for sufferers of PTSD who are known to face great relationship difficulties.