Why Women Suffer PTSD in Silence
Trauma can cause a lot of changes in your life. However, not everyone experiences traumatic events and suffers from PTSD; the ones who do often suffer silently. Do you know Why Women Suffer PTSD in Silence? Keep reading to find out.
Why Women Suffer Silently
It is common for women who have suffered trauma to think that there is something wrong with them or that they ought to be over the trauma.
Women who often feel that way always find themselves ignoring their symptoms and trying to deal with their situation on their own.
Aside from that, there is still some kind of stigmatisation of people suffering from mental illness in some places.
It gets worse for women who try to get help after being assaulted sexually because of the trauma associated with being asked about the authenticity of their claim.
All of these make it difficult for women suffering from PTSD to be diagnosed. And without being treated, the symptoms get worse over time.
Meanwhile, getting help early can save you from suffering unnecessarily.
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The Proportion of Women with PTSD
One widespread misunderstanding about PTSD is that it mostly affects men who have served in battle.
In fact, women are more likely than men to have PTSD, especially those who have experienced more traumatic events.
PTSD in women can result from a variety of traumas, including sexual assault.
The following numbers are horrifying given that sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes in the United States:
- One in every five women will be raped at some point in their lives.
- One in three women will experience sexual assault in their lifetime.
- Women account for 91% of sexual assault victims, and
- 81% mention serious short-and-short-and-short-and-long-term effects, such as PTSD.
A car accident, a natural disaster, a painful divorce, or anything that makes you incapable of coping can trigger PTSD.
Symptoms of PTSD
Women who have been through trauma often try to erase the thoughts or pain forcefully. Unfortunately, you cannot magically erase the past by waving a wand.
While others can get over trauma in weeks, others will develop symptoms that will interfere with their daily activities, careers, and well-being.
Below are symptoms of PTSD, which often start within three months of a traumatic incident:
- Flashbacks or
- Nightmares
- Intrusive memories
- Avoidance of reminders or triggers
- Insomnia
- Loss of motivation
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Memory loss
- Paranoia
- Detachment from others.
- Self-medication with drugs or alcohol
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How Can PTSD Be Cured?
Trauma isn’t an experience you forget. Trauma is something you never “get over”; it will always be with you and influence how you see the world.
But that doesn’t mean you’re sentenced to a life of misery. By getting treatment, you can learn to control your PTSD so that it no longer regularly has a negative influence on your life.
One of the best methods for treating PTSD is psychotherapy (often known as “talk therapy”), however, it’s by no means the only one.
Exposure therapy, which can be integrated into talk therapy sessions, can be a therapeutic way to process trauma.
Furthermore, talking about the traumatic incident exposes you to upsetting memories, but in a safe, supportive environment and with the help of a trained professional who can support you as you work through it.
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, or EMDR, is a technique that combines exposure treatment with instructed eye movements to help your brain process painful experiences and alter how you respond to them.
Medication is frequently used to treat PTSD together with treatment. An anti-depressant like Zoloft or Paxil, or an anti-anxiety medication like Xanax, Ativan, or Klonopin, can be recommended by your doctor.
Treatments for the nightmares and insomnia associated with PTSD. However, Benzodiazepine drugs, or “benzos,” should be taken with caution because they can be abused.
A mix of these treatments is frequently beneficial, especially if you have highly bothersome symptoms that don’t go away with a single form of therapy.
In conclusion, as a woman suffering from PTSD, you don’t have to go through this struggle alone. Moreover, The right person who is trained to help people through their pain and trauma can help you.
As professionals, they will understand how trauma can impact your thoughts, feelings, and behaviour.