Ask A Healer Mental Health Series

What Causes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how PTSD is Treated
Copyright Neva J Howell

Natural Remedies for PTSD

What is post traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD )?

When a person is unable to forget a traumatic event in their lives, whether they just witnessed the event or it actually happened to them, they can develop what's called post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD for short.

Those with this anxiety disorder have nightmares about the trauma they experienced or witnessed (common triggers are rape, being robbed, being in a bad car accident, surviving a natural disaster like a tornado or something like Katrina, etc.) and can also suffer from flashbacks of the event.

These horrifying flashbacks can occur at any time, while awake, and are very disturbing because they cannot be controlled and it's like living through parts of the trauma over and over.

Risk Factors for PTSD:

One of the groups most at risk for PTSD are our veterans and troups in the military. If you are a veteran or in active military duty and you feel you may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, there is a lot of very helpful information online at Department of Veterans Affairs

Others may find more general information on PTSD at the National Institute of Mental Health

Childhood abuse or trauma is a very common form of PTSD about which I have personal experience. A gift that came from healing my own childhood abuse was that I became able to assist others still mired in the pain of their past. During the time that I maintained a full-time practice as a healing facilitator, I often seemed to draw those who are ready to heal the past and reclaim their inner essence.

Treating mood disorders
About Depression
Amitryptyline Side Effects