Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is Normal

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been mentioned in the media quite a bit in recent years. It is not a new phenomenon and has, over the last 100 years, been called by more than one name. From shell shock in world war one, through battle fatigue of world war two, to PTSD of today. It has been primarily associated with the fighting men and women of the military. Since the Grenfell Tower fire, more people have been talking about it also affecting fire fighters and police, but the truth is, it can affect anyone in any walk of life. In fact it can affect anyone who suffers any form of mental or physical trauma.

As a military trauma risk management practitioner (TRiM) I was trained to help identify anyone who could be developing, or had symptoms of PTSD. I also agree with the military definition of PTSD as “a normal reaction to an abnormal event”. You don’t need to be in the military or part of a blue light service to see or hear things that trigger PTSD - just one single event such as a road traffic accident can be enough. Suffering from PTSD doesn’t mean you are weak. It doesn’t mean you are abnormal. On the contrary, you are perfectly normal. It is estimated that PTSD affects one in three people who experience a traumatic event (http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Post-traumatic-stress-disorder/Pages/Introduction.aspx). In the past, sufferers of PTSD just suffered in silence, often to the detriment of their work, friendships, family life, and general medical and mental health. But you don’t have to suffer forever - help is available.

It’s vital, if you wish to bring an end to your PTSD, that you seek help. Some sufferers suffer for years but the sooner you seek help the sooner you regain control of your life. There’s more than one way to resolve the issue causing your PTSD and bring it to an end. Medication, group therapy, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) are effective for most people.

Hypnotherapy is also very affective for PTSD, and while EMDR has proven effective in the treatment of addictions and habits, amongst other things it was actually developed specifically for the treatment of PTSD. So when hypnotherapy is combined with EMDR, the end of your suffering can be both very effective and quick.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author. All articles published on Hypnotherapy Directory are reviewed by our editorial team.

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Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX10 9DG
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Written by Michael Geerthsen, Dip Hyp & CS, MHS
Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX10 9DG

I run a small friendly hypnotherapy practice (Hypnotic Resolutions LTD) in Wallingford Oxfordshire. Proficient in using hypnosis and EMDR to help ordinary people overcome ordinary problems you can be sure of a fully confidential service.

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