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If something very scary happens to you, you may react in many different ways, such as feeling more nervous, having a hard time sleeping, or going over what happened in your mind. These are normal reactions to a frightening situation and they usually decrease over time. If these symptoms do not get better with time and are causing problems in your life, you may want to talk to your family doctor or mental health counsellor about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
PTSD is a mental illness that causes symptoms such as:
- re-experiencing the traumatic event
- avoiding things that remind you of the event
- feeling nervous all of the time
- startling easily
- having a hard time concentrating
- feeling irritable
- having problems sleeping
- feeling that something bad is going to happen
- feeling numb or disconnected from your body or thoughts
To read more about post-traumatic stress disorder, please visit the Canadian Mental Health Association's page on PTSD.
If you have problems in your life related to trauma, it's important to take your feelings seriously and talk to your doctor or nurse or ask to speak with a mental health counsellor. Your medical team may recommend counselling, medication or a support group. It is also helpful for your family members to seek support so that they know how to best help you.