22/10/2021
PTSD can develop after a very stressful, frightening or distressing event, or after a prolonged traumatic experience.
Women victim survivors of domestic violence are particularly susceptible to PTSD, which is sparked by exposure to an event that involved or held the threat of death, violence, or serious injury.
PTSD is different for each person but many survivors have triggers that evoke memories of the trauma they experienced and lead to intense physical and emotional reactions.
Sometimes triggers persist well after a survivor has left the abusive relationship.
Many survivors have trouble concentrating. Some survivors find that their PTSD experience includes debilitating panic attacks. Marked by sudden feelings of fear with accompanying physical symptoms such as palpitations and sweating, panic attacks are a classic sign of panic disorder, one of the various conditions under the anxiety-disorder umbrella.
These symptoms sound devastating because they are. But people who escape domestic violence can and do heal, often figuring out what works for them along the way.
Some survivors turn to counseling or therapy, of which there are many different kinds. There's the approach that people usually think of: talking about your struggles.
While not everyone who suffers from trauma develops PTSD, those who do are not weak; PTSD is not a sign of weakness. Many people who experience domestic violence struggle with finding a way to cope with what they have gone through.
Although the road to healing can be filled with obstacles, it is indeed possible.
