In Bloom: for survivors: :: about post-traumatic stress disorder ::

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
In this article from Self Help Magazine, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Connie Saindon, MA, explains the nature of PTSD. Also check out the magazine's huge collection of other articles on the topic of Trauma & Traumatic Stress. Includes a Q&A link.

Do I Have PTSD?
Are you wondering if you have the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder? About.com's Panic Disorders page offers this comprehensive, easy-to-take online quiz. This quiz is not meant to serve as a substitute for medical diagnosis or advice. Please consult a doctor about symptoms.

Acute Stress Disorder
From the archives of the online mental health Q&A site AskTheTherapist.com, Kathleen R Madison, MRC, CRC, LPCI discusses the definition of "acute stress".

The Invisible Epidemic: PTSD
This amazing page, written by J Douglas Bremner, MD, explains PTSD's physiological side in plain English and with great insight.

Surviving Post Traumatic Stress
Any traumatic experience can trigger post traumatic stress disorder. Rape, child abuse, and other acts of violence can cause this anxiety disorder. Seeing your mother or father attacked or killed can severely affect your emotions and growth, and lead to feelings of rage and vulnerability. Surviving post traumatic stress involves recognizing the signs and complications. Find out more in this article by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen from Suite101.com's Psychology section.

Coping Mechanisms in PTSD
Survivors may turn to unhealthy coping stategies such as drugs, alcohol, eating disorders and/or self-injury. Also offers links such as facts about victims of abuse trauma, facts about abusers, the long term effects of PTSD & more. Created by CrescentLife.com

National Institute of Mental Health: Reliving Trauma
This e-publication gives a brief overview of PTSD symptoms, treatments, and psycho-biology, explaining the body's physical reaction to extremely stressful events. Also available en Español.

Trauma Can Affect Brain Function Years After Event
Exposure to traumatic events can cause subtle changes that may increase susceptibility to mental health problems later on.

Facts for Health: PTSD
The intensity of experiencing a life-threatening trauma can take time to subside. For some, it simply never does. Seeking treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can help restore balance, control, and enjoyment to your life. (From FactsForHealth.com.)

The Compulsion to Repeat the Trauma
Victims of trauma sometimes expose themselves to situations reminiscent of the original trauma and this "repetition compulsion" often causes further suffering. Learn more in this insightful essay by Bessel A van der Kolk, MD, first published in the journal Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Vol 12.

Stress Related Disorders Caused by Early Life Experiences
Neglect and abuse in childhood disrupt the natural development of brain functions and can leave a child without resilience- putting them more at risk for being traumatized by experiences in the future.

PTSD Facts for Family
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry describes the way children ordinarily process stress as opposed to what happens when a child goes through a PTSD-inducing experience.

Abused Children Stay Highly Attuned to Anger
This page from About.com's Mental Health section explores how children in an abusive home can become hyper-aware of adult anger as a means of self-preservation.

Child Sexual Abuse and PTSD
The National Center for PTSD offers this simple, comprehensive fact sheet written by Dr Julia Whealin, PhD. Here, learn about the cause and effect between PTSD and surviving childhood sexual violence.

A Consumer Update from AAMFT: Rape Trauma
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy describes the phases of healing from the traumatic stress that follows sexual assault.

Rape and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Dr Donnica Moore, MD, interviews Kellie Greene. Ms Greene is a rape survivor, PTSD survivor and activist, National Spokesperson for the Pfizer/YWCA "Moving Past Trauma" PTSD Community Outreach Program and founder of SOAR (Speaking Out About Rape).

Rape Victims With PTSD
In this Q&A section of Mental Health Today, rape victims with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are discussed by therapist Laura Russell, PhD.

Prostitution, Violence Against Women, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
One hundred and thirty people working as prostitutes in San Francisco were interviewed regarding the extent of violence in their lives and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"Am I Supposed to Feel This Way?": Rape Trauma
A brief on the indicators of traumatic stress in men after being sexually assaulted. Presented by the U of Texas at Austin.

Escaping the Prison of a Past Trauma
In this article from the Food & Drug Administration's FDA Consumer Magazine, journalist Tamar Nordenberg discusses a variety of treatments for PTSD and spends time with activist-survivor Kellie Greene, founder of Florida's rape education group SOAR (Speaking Out About Rape).

National Center for Victims of Crime: Rape Related PTSD
The NCVC is the nation's leading resource and advocacy organization for crime victims. On this e-document, they describe the PTSD known as Rape Related PTSD or Rape Trauma Syndrome.

Answers in the Aftermath: PTSD & Violence
The Center on Women, Violence & Trauma presents this fact sheet about PTSD in the aftermath of violent crimes like rape and domestic abuse. Includes suggestions to help begin a healing process and links to helpful online resources.

PTSD & Domestic Violence
Using information from the PTSD Alliance (1-877-507-PTSD), the Anxiety Disorder Association of America, Aftershock (Slaby, 1989), the Sidran Institute and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), this page is especially notable for its lengthy and specific check-list of PTSD symptoms.

Health24.com: PTSD, Women and Abuse
The risk of depression and PTSD associated with intimate partner violence is even higher than the risk of these disorders resulting from childhood physical and sexual abuse. This is according to a paper presented by Dr Soraya Seedat of the MRC Unit on Anxiety and Stress Disorders at the 12th National Psychiatry Congress.

PTSD and Long-Term Abuse
Presented in downloadable form by the Lola Green Baldwin Foundation, this very thorough e-brochure for survivors covers post-traumatic stress disorder and its impact on women who have suffered long term abuse as adults, including prostitution.

Mental Help Net: PTSD & Effects of Abuse
This simply-written but highly informative page examines both the causes and the after-effects of abuse, including PTSD.

About Men and Trauma
Trauma is an emotional wound that creates substantial, lasting damage to the psychological development of a person. Trauma can include experiencing physical, emotional or sexual abuse. An article about physical, emotional and sexual trauma in the lives of men. From the website MensTrauma.com, a Canadian agency that deals with males who are survivors of trauma.

Women, PTSD, and Alcohol
The symptoms of PTSD associated with abuse trauma can drive some survivors to self-medicate with alcohol, putting them at risk for alcoholism, which creates its own host of dangers and difficulties. This article from Suite101.com's Cheryl Foote details the potential risks.

The Link Between PTSD & Substance Abuse
This article (by Constance Clancy, EdD, from 4therapy.com ) discusses how an emerging body of research has documented a very strong association between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse. In most cases, substance use begins after the exposure to trauma and the development of PTSD, thus making PTSD a risk factor for drug abuse.

Trauma Addiction: Safety & Stabilization for the Addicted Survivor of Trauma
There is a fairly common phenomenon where trauma can lead to addiction and addiction leads back to trauma. A survivor of trauma is at a significantly greater risk of developing some type of addiction and the reverse is also true. Having this awareness, it is imperative to look at more effective ways of treating this unique condition. Yet addicted survivors of trauma are often the recipients of the anger, frustration, and trepidation of health care workers due to the difficulty in both conceptualizing and administering effective treatment to this population.

ATTC's Trauma Index
Created by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), this page defines what acute traumatic stress is offers perspectives on issues connected to it, including addiction. ATTC is funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and SAMHSA).

Don't Make it Worse! Use of Alcohol or Drugs After Trauma
In addition to the deleterious effects on the nervous system, the traumatized person is also more vulnerable to psychological addiction to alcohol or substances. The problem is that the temporary numbing from getting inebriated becomes attractive to them. They then begin to anticipate the use of substances to prevent themselves from feeling anything. In this altered state they do not heal. When they finally become clean and sober, they will still have to face all the feelings only their healing process will be more complicated and delayed. An article from GiftFromWithin.org by Angie Panos, PhD, and Patrick Panos, PhD.

PTSD & Alcohol
Presented by the enigmatic Dendrite Forest, Inc this page focuses on PTSD survivors attempting to self-medicate their symptoms with alcohol. Discusses PTSD and its impact on relationships, physical health, violence and more.

Lifestyle Changes for PTSD
Because PTSD symptoms seldom disappear completely, it is usually a continuing challenge for survivors of trauma to cope with them. But by making some simple changes, it is possible for people minimize the impact of PTSD. A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet by Joe Ruzek, PhD.

The Effects of Trauma Don't Have to Last a Lifetime
People who experience trauma may later have debilitating symptoms that interfere with daily life. The good news is that psychological interventions are effective in preventing many long-term effects. From the APA's research site, PsychologyMatters.org.

PTSD Treatment
This page comes from the Lundbeck Institute's Brain Disorders section of BrainExplorer.org and offers details about both the psychological and pharmacological methods of treating PTSD.

PTSD Prognosis
Articles and information about what factors can influence an individual's likelihood of recovering from PTSD. From EverydayHealth.com's Health A-Z index.

RemedyFind: Patient Ratings of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Does CBT work for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Patients rate this treatment according to effectiveness, side effects, cost and more.

PTSD Treatment
A guide to the different forms of treatment available to people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. From Epigee.org.

EMDR As a Treatment Option for PTSD
Patty Pheil, MSW, looks into Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a therapy for treating traumatic memory that was originally developed by Francine Shapiro PhD in the late 1980's. An article from Mental-Health-Today.com.

EMDR Therapy for Trauma?
Candid patient ratings of EMDR offered by RemedyFind.com, an independent, unbiased site where individuals and healthcare professionals can rate the effectiveness of different treatments for specific health conditions. The site is not owned, sponsored or underwritten by pharmaceutical or nutritional companies and has no vested interest in promoting any particular health remedy.

National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet on Treatments for PTSD
Today, there are good treatments available for PTSD. With PTSD, dealing with the past can be hard and some people choose to keep feelings bottled up. But talking with a therapist can help and there are many options available. In this fact sheet Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, medication, and other treatmentss are described.

PTSD & Sleep
A fact sheet from the National Center for PTSD (written by Pamela Swales, PhD) explains the effect that Post Traumatic Stress can have in disrupting the body's sleep patterns. Reprinted by @health.com's Mental Health Consumer Connection.

Treatment of PTSD from Child Abuse
Psychologist Wendy Moelker of Web4Health.info presents this model of treatment for people who have been sexually abused. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find an index of other PTSD articles on this site.

Alumbo! Post Traumatic Stress Articles
Also covered are post traumatic stress syndrome, cumulative trauma disorder and shell shock.

APA Topics: Trauma
The American Psychological Association's webpage offers news, the latest developments, reviews of books and cd's, links to an index of professional online journals that examine different aspects of trauma, and more. There's also a Q & A about memories of childhood abuse.

Gift from Within
A national charity for survivors of trauma and victimization, Gift from Within is a non-profit organization dedicated to those who suffer from or are at risk for PTSD, and those who care for traumatized individuals. Gift From Within believes that persons with PTSD and related traumatic stress syndromes deserve the same respect and support that individuals and families suffering the impact of cancer, heart disease and stroke receive. At least 10,000,000 Americans have experienced some form of PTSD. Gift From Within was founded to help provide this support.

Healing Alliance
The Healing Alliance offers positive options to those whose lives have been damaged by trauma. They are a non-denominational, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the healing, recovery, and education for all those impacted by traumatic experiences and events.

Healing Resources.org
Healing Resources is a web site with a vast amount of information and well-written, interesting articles about trauma and traumatic stress. This is a professional , non-commercial web site intended for parents, educators, adults with relationship problems that result from stress-related disorders like depression and anxiety, and also for health professionals with a working knowledge in emotional/psychological trauma.

HealthDiaries.com: PTSD Stories & Blogs
Join the conversation and post to the group PTSD Blog. Post personal stories, articles, links to interesting related sites.

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies: e-pamphlets
The ISTSS is the world's premier trauma organization dedicated to trauma treatment, education and research. This page of their website features a selection of e-pamphlets that offer leading edge insight into traumatic stress as it plays out in a variety of personal situations including understanding traumatized loved ones, intimate partner violence, childhood trauma, loss and traumatic grief. Well-researched and wonderfully written.

Journey to Trauma Recovery
Journey to Trauma Recovery is free and was designed by experts in treating trauma survivors to help recent trauma survivors understand common stress reactions from trauma and learn better ways to cope with these reactions.

MedHelp.org: PTSD
MedHelp provides information, articles, links to a discussion forum, info about support groups and an Ask The Doctor Q & A feature are only some of the resources available on this page.

National Center for PTSD
The Center provides expert answers for commonly asked questions about the effects of trauma, including basic information about PTSD and other common reactions. NCPTSD also makes information about treatment and coping available along with educational videos.

PTSD Sanctuary
An extensive peer support community featuring treatment info, books reviews, information on the latest PTSD research, crisis intervention info, an archive of related articles, online PTSD bookstore and an interactive Ask the Therapist feature. Membership is free.

Sidran Institute
The Institute is a nonprofit organization of international scope that helps people understand, recover from, and treat traumatic stress (including PTSD), dissociative disorders, and co-occurring issues, such as addictions, self injury, and suicidality.

Suite 101.com: PTSD
Articles from a plethora of angles- everything from different methods of treatment to PTSD's connection to codependecy and substance abuse. Includes discussion forums and links to resources off-site. Also check out the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome page, an archive of related articles. Forum participation requires Suite 101 membership, which is free, but all of these articles can be viewed without it. Edited by Cheryl Foote, LPN.

The Wounded Healer Journal
TWHJ is the oldest point of presence on the web for psychotherapists and others who have experienced the devastation of trauma including child abuse. Topics discussed in the TWHJ Forums include: Treatment after abuse and trauma (counseling, psychotherapy, psychiatric care), psychological effects of child sexual abuse, neglect, physical and verbal abuse, domestic violence, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), alternative therapies including EMDR, mental health resources, relationship issues, crisis lines, finding a therapist, addiction, grief and loss, and spirituality - to name a few.

Women Organizing Women: Veteran Advocacy
VETWOW is a group of veterans (women and men) who experienced Military Sexual Trauma and are now organized to assist other vets who have PTSD from experiencing sexual assault while serving the nation. They help with Service Connection for claims due to Military Sexual Trauma, Social Security Disability, offer information regarding VA Claims and have an extensive library of info links and files for vet survivors.