Experiencing fear and suspicion stress is, in many ways a normal response to an abnormal situation.  After a tragic event, it is likely that you will experience a variety of symptoms and emotions.  Sometimes, however, these symptoms surface several weeks, months or even years after the tragedy.  This is called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recognizing these symptoms in yourself or others is the first step toward recovery and finding appropriate treatment. 

• Re-experiencing the event through vivid memories or flash backs
• Feeling “emotionally numb” 
• Feeling overwhelmed by what would normally be considered everyday situations and diminished interest in performing normal tasks or pursuing usual interests 
• Crying uncontrollably 
• Isolating oneself from family and friends and avoiding social situations
• Relying increasingly on alcohol or drugs to get through the day
• Feeling extremely moody, irritable, angry, suspicious or frightened 
• Having difficulty falling or staying asleep, sleeping too much and experiencing nightmares 
• Feeling guilty about surviving the event or being unable to solve the problem, change the event or prevent the disaster 
• Feeling fears and sense of doom about the future 

SYMPTOMS OF PTSD ARE:

• Flashbacks of the event (children can repeatedly play out event)
• Repeated distressing dreams of the event
• Acting or feeling as if the event is occurring all over again
• Intense psychological distress when thinking of the event
• Feeling physical distress when thinking of the event (stomach aches, head aches Etc.)
• Efforts to avoid thinking of event
• Efforts to avoid activities, people or places that bring up event
• Lack of memory of all parts of event
• Lack of interest in activities
• Feeling detached from others
• Inability to feel all emotions to their fullest
• Sense of foreshortened future
• Hard time falling or staying asleep
• Irritability
• Hard time concentrating
• Hyper vigilance
• Startle easily