Serving your country in military service is a noble thing to do. However, it takes a toll in countless ways and comes at a cost. Spending months or years on foreign soil as you experience chaos and destruction can make it challenging to plunge back to society. This is why psychologists and therapists at Genesis New Beginnings offer veteran services in Huntington Beach after realizing the need for specialized care. It can be easy to unpack your bags, but the trauma you may have experienced can become a burden to you, which is why post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is most common in veterans.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Military veterans have witnessed some of the worst horrors of combat, making them suffer PTSD more than others, who can have the same condition from other contributing factors. This makes them suffer severe depression, distress, or anxiety, affecting them for an extended period if not adequately managed. It will help if you keep in mind that you can experience the symptoms immediately, or several months to years afterward.
How PTSD Affects Veterans
Veterans and other people who have PTSD can be affected in three different ways. One can experience symptoms in three categories such as intrusive, arousal, and avoidance. However, note that not everyone suffering from PTSD shows all the signs, and even if they occur, they may not flow in any order.
Intrusive Symptoms
This is where you experience flashbacks and nightmares about your traumatic event. This can affect your concentration and sleep, affecting your life quality as you cannot complete your daily activities. Besides, intrusive thoughts can be triggered by conversations or situations which remind you of a particular event and make you feel like you are experiencing it all over again.
Arousal Symptoms
At this stage of PTSD, you may start experiencing hyperarousal, a heightened state of alarm or tension. You can notice this if you are experiencing symptoms such as persistent fear, inability to concentrate, insomnia, or being easily startled. This is where you become sensitive with almost anything happening around you, and you act insecure, it can affect your relationships with others.
Avoidance Symptoms
This is a stage where the symptoms of PTSD eat you up from within, and you tend to shut off the feelings of your incident. You can find yourself shunning situations, places, or people that you feel remind you of your ordeal. You may also commence losing interest in the activities you used to enjoy and remain feeling guilty, depressed, and worried most times. You can also become emotionally numb, and you may find yourself cutting off your friends and family.
How Specialized Care Improves PTSD
There is no one-size-fits solution that can help manage someone with PTSD, specialized care can help someone improve overtime. This is through the following procedure:
- It helps to maintain dialogue even when you are embarrassed to ask for help, and your provider helps to keep the lines of communication open until you open up.
- Your needs are met, helping you improve your condition. Your provider can help you with concentration difficulties, poor memory, stress, time and project management, absenteeism, and anxiety. As your symptoms are improved, the techniques help you recover from your traumatic event.
If military service has taken its toll in your life or someone you know, help is available at Genesis New Beginning. Reach out to our providers to gain more information to help you make informed decisions.
