PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and is a psychological reaction to a trauma, a severe stressor, a natural disaster, being the victim or witness of a crime, living through a devastating catastrophe, and other similar types of circumstances.
We used to think that only war veterans and victims of violent crimes could have PTSD. We now know anyone can develop PTSD following an overwhelming, frightening disaster; either personal or environmental. The pandemic is just that sort of disaster and many people may develop PTSD as a result.
There are several risk factors that may predispose a person to develop PTSD, that include:
- Previous history of trauma
- Underlying mental health problems
- Ongoing, long-term exposure to the stressor/s
- Not having the opportunity to talk about the trauma with anyone
PTSD does not always go away by itself. The longer you keep your feelings and fears inside, the worse it becomes and the more aspects of your life are impacted. Most often, therapy is the best way to treat and cure PTSD.