Trauma from Severe Illness
If you’ve ever had a medical emergency and had to spend time in the hospital’s ICU (intensive care unit) you know how scary it can be. The beeping monitors, the barrage of questions from medical staff, the drug-induced wooziness and sleep deprivation, not to mention pain, possibly invasive treatments like a breathing tube and almost certainly concern for your survival – all of this can cause anyone to feel overwhelmed.
The term ‘post-traumatic stress disorder’ or PTSD, was originally associated with war veterans. But this mental health problem can affect anyone exposed to a frightening, traumatic and/or life threatening episode (1) and a critical illness certainly falls into that category. In fact at least 10% – and as many as 60% – of patients discharged from an ICU suffer PTSD at some point.
Symptoms can appear months after being hospitalized and may include recurring flashbacks, nightmares and a tendency to avoid situations that might bring back memories of the event. People with PTSD are often anxious and have trouble concentrating, sleeping, interacting with others and enjoying activities – all of which can severely affect their quality of life.
« BackTherapists
These are our therapists who are experienced in working with PTSD, Sleep Disorders.
