Three Types of Warning Signs for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Online, May 23, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is known to affect as much as 6.8 percent of Americans-77 million adults-at some point during their lives. Although war veterans are among the hardest-hit groups, PTSD can actually affect anyone following a traumatic event or set of events. Even though the events that trigger it can vary, PTSD tends to create similar symptoms. Getting treatment as soon as possible after symptoms develop may prevent long-term PTSD. If you have disturbing thoughts and feelings for more than a month following a traumatic event, if they are severe, or if you feel you are having trouble getting your life back under control, it is important to talk to a healthcare professional. He or she will want to discuss the specific symptoms you have been experiencing. In many cases, your doctor may refer you to a mental health professional who can help make a diagnosis and create the right treatment plan for you.

PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into three major types:

1. Intrusive memories. These types of symptoms may be characterized by flashbacks, or reliving the traumatic event for minutes or even days at a time. They can also manifest themselves as upsetting dreams about the traumatic event.

2. Avoidance and numbing. Those with PTSD may try to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event. They may feel emotionally numb, and tend to avoid activities they once enjoyed. There may be a tendency to express hopelessness about the future. Finally, there may be memory problems, trouble concentrating, and difficulty maintaining close relationships.

3. Increased anxiety or emotional arousal. In addition to irritability and anger, PTSD patients may experience a sense of overwhelming guilt or shame. Individuals may engage in self-destructive behavior, such as overdrinking; they may also be easily startled, or hear and see things that aren't there. They may also have trouble sleeping. New York-based Tonix Pharmaceuticals is reformulating an existing muscle relaxant called cyclobenzaprine into a low-dose sleep aid to be taken in sublingual tablet form at bedtime, and is betting that it will offer the key to better treatment for PTSD. Tonix will be testing its drug through 2013.

For more information, please visit www.tonixpharma.com.