Veterans and First Responders

Rough times?

Experiencing any of these?

Intrusion

1. Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive anxious memories of a traumatic event
2. Recurrent distressing dreams
3. Flash backs of intense or prolonged anxiety with marked physical reactions in response to cues that symbolize or resemble a traumatic event

 

Negative mood

1. Persistent inability to experience positive emotions (happiness, satisfaction, or loving feelings)

 

Dissociative

1. An altered sense of the reality of one’s surroundings or oneself (being in a daze, time has slowed down)
2. “How’d I get here”, or a break in time one cannot recall what happened

 

Avoidance

1. Efforts to avoid a distressing memory, thought, or feeling about a traumatic event
2. Efforts to avoid people, places, conversations, activities, objects, situations that might recall distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings about a traumatic event

Arousal

1. Sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, restless sleep), or maybe avoid sleep to stop night terrors
2. Irritable behavior and angry outbursts (with little or no provocation), typically expressed as verbal or physical aggression toward people or objects
3. Hypervigilance
4. Problems with concentration
5. Exaggerated startle response

 

These symptoms may cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of life.

What should I do?   How do I get started?