Description: PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression Anti-Stigma Campaign.
The DSM-IV identifies a traumatic event as one in which we experience a threat (actual or perceived) of death or serious injury to self or others, with a response of "intense fear, helplessness or horror." It is not the event itself, but the meaning it has for the individual that makes it traumatic.
Right after a traumatic event, normal people experience a range of normal reactions, including: anxiety, feeling "revved up," fatigue, irritability, hyper-vigilance, increased emotionality, problems sleeping, exaggerated startle response, change in appetite, feeling overwhelmed, impatience, withdrawing from family and friends.
Hyper-arousal: increases in heart rate, respiration and blood pressure, psycho-motor agitation, physical tension, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, fear, irritability or anger.