Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that arises when there is continued intense and disturbing thoughts and feelings, long after the extremely stressful or terrifying event which caused it, has passed.  Trauma activates our survival stress response - fight, flight, or freeze. In the case of PTSD, the chemical response does not subside, and reemerges whenever there is a perceived threat to life, safety or security. This could be in response to seemingly ordinary experiences, such as loud noises or accidental touch. It causes the individual to live in a constant state of fear and distress, whether or not they are aware of it.

Symptoms may include:

• Emotional: ongoing feelings of fear, blame, guilt, anger or shame, difficulty feeling positive emotions, emotional numbness, irritability, angry outbursts

• Physical: Avoidance (of people, places and thoughts), easily startled, self-destructive behaviour, sleep disturbances, sweating, shortness of breath, increased heart rate 

• Behavioural: disinterest in activities you once enjoyed, aggressiveness towards others

• Psychological: Intrusive (distressing) memories, negative thoughts about oneself or others, memory problems, feeling detached from family and friends, difficulty concentrating

Examples of what we do in the room