Post-traumatic stress disorder is said to impact roughly 8% of the American population at any given period. While 8% might not seem like much, take into consideration that it translates to approximately 24.4 million individuals. With numbers that staggering, it is important that sufferers of PTSD receive the help they need.
Impact of PTSD
Part of the reason seeking help is so important is because of the side effects of PTSD. Signs that a person has PTSD will include:
- Nightmares
- Flashbacks of a traumatic event
- Fearful thoughts
- Avoidance
- Difficulty sleeping
- Worry/Anxiety
- Depression
- Guilt
- Emotional numbness
- Anhedonia (loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities/hobbies)
- Complaints of physical pain
- Neurological problems
- Respiratory issues
- Cardiovascular health issues
- Problems with the musculoskeletal system
The only way to manage the symptoms experienced by sufferers of PTSD is to seek help. It is important to have an understanding support group of family and friends, as well as the help of a therapist. A therapist can provide coping skills that will help veterans such as yourself, and other victims of PTSD, succeed in living a happy and mentally healthy life.
Reasons to Choose Online Therapy
While unfortunate, PTSD often carries with it certain stigmas. To avoid those stigmas, sufferers of PTSD will also often avoid seeking care. Fortunately, online therapy provides a sense or privacy that makes seeking care. In some instances, sufferers do not have access to care or they feel that the care that is available it not an affordable option.
Online therapy is both affordable and accessible, even to those who feel they have no other care options available. In fact, active duty and retired servicemen and women who suffer from PTSD can use TRICARE to ensure the affordability of therapeutic services.
Another benefit is the fact that online therapy often promotes self-management of symptoms associated with PTSD. Studies commonly show that sufferers of PTSD have a positive outcome thanks to the self-management of symptoms. In fact, by learning how to self-manage, individuals with PTSD tend to continue management long after therapy has come to an end.
Understanding Someone with PTSD
If you or someone you love struggles with PTSD, it is important to seek help. The best way to help someone you know seek therapy is to understand how to approach the person. You must handle PTSD with a certain amount of sensitivity and understanding to successfully encourage finding help. First, you must realize that person with PTSD will often experience:
- Anger
- Frustration
- Sudden changes in behavior
- Volatile actions
- Lack of motivation
Of course, all the problems mentioned above can be just as difficult and frustrating to deal with for friends and family members. The best way to encourage someone you love to seek help with their PTSD is to practice love, support, and understanding. Never pressure your loved one to talk. Instead, offer comfort and acceptance. Allow your loved one to lead and approach topics on their own. Also, it is important for you to manage your own stress.
If you are feeling stressed, it can create problems between you and the person struggling with PTSD. Fortunately, therapy can also help you overcome the stress and frustrations you are dealing with. Most importantly, you must be patient. You must realize that recovery takes time. If your loved one decides to seek out therapy, it will not produce results overnight.
Consider the fact that it might be best for both of you to seek therapy together and individually. Therapy can work wonders for sufferers of PTSD and their family members. Together, you can learn coping skills, activities that you can enjoy doing together, and ways to communicate effectively. The best way to ensure online therapy works for you is to be as honest and open as possible.
The Virtual Therapist Network has a network of online therapists that victims of PTSD and their families can use to receive professional help. The focus is geared toward assisting those in need through the recovery process. While recovery does take time, sufferers often experience many benefits immediately, as long as they are willing to seek and stick with the help that is available.