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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Grief - Page 2

© Cheryl Foote

These 5 women all found them selves admitted to the hospital due to their depression at some time in their lives. Each of their lives were altered permanently after the traumas they had to endure. Each woman was lucky to get a physician and therapist who listened to their backgrounds, instead of just looking at the symptoms of their depression, and they were all diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

With out realizing it, all 5 women had entered their own personal grieving process! Recovery from PTSD is very closely related to the 6 steps of grieving. Depending on the situation, most people go through the steps of grieving with the aide of family, close friends, and support groups begin to feel somewhat whole again. What are the steps?
- Shock
- Disbelief
- Numbness
- Fear
- Anger
- Acceptance

With PTSD however, many women get stuck in the process and are unable to resolve their grief, they keep going in circles between the steps without getting to Acceptance. Because diagnosis and acceptance of a diagnosis of PTSD in women is still new, many continue to go around in circles in the steps. More education is needed of the helping professions, to dig deeper than just the symptoms a women presents with, but also her background. With this important information diagnosis might be more specific.

Shock and Disbelief
The initial reaction to trauma is shock and disbelief. Our bodies often provide us with a mechanism to help us get through the initial days. Endorphins and adrenaline are released. As these natural substances begin to demoniac we find ourselves moving into the next phase.

Numbness
Similar to disbelief, numbness is a stage where one feels nothing, good or bad. It is a state of non-feeling. This stage can go on for days, weeks, months and even years depending on the severity and number of traumas. Numbness eventually leads to depression

Fear
Fear can come in many forms. Many may fear that the trauma(s) may repeat it's self causing hypervigilence, and anxiety. One may experience nightmares, bad dreams and night terror/anger. This form of fear can lead to sleep problems. A fear of ones life will never be "normal" again is common, also leading to depression.

Anger
Normally anger is the stage one enters after processing the events and emotions surrounding the trauma(s). It is usually a sign that healing is beginning. However if one is stuck, they may never reach this stage alone! The other problem with anger, is a fear of loosing control when it comes to the surface, which may case women to return to a sense of numbness! At this point it is important to allow the anger to flow, and to even write about it.

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