Depression. Let’s Talk.

You don’t have to have been personally involved in a traumatic experience to suffer the effects of depression.

Over the last few years, a long string of traumatic events have occurred and been widely covered in the news, including mass shootings, and political stress, as well as natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires. These events can be devastating for those personally involved, yet their impact may also be felt by others not directly involved at all.

Depression and PTSD: What’s the Connection?

People who continue to experience extreme symptoms of stress long after a traumatic event may have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can also lead to depression — a continued feeling of intense sadness that interferes with a person’s ability to function normally.

Depression and PTSD often coexist, and their symptoms may overlap. A study on Vietnam veterans counducted 40 years after the war, published in 2015 JAMA Psychiatry, found that about a third of those who suffered from PTSD also had major depressive symptoms.

Symptoms of depression include sadness, feelings of loss, disillusionment, loss of appetite, and difficulty sleeping.

Symptoms of PTSD include:

• Reliving traumatic events through flashbacks or nightmares
• Avoiding experiences that remind you of the trauma
• Panic attacks
• Physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, trembling, shortness of breath, or headaches

Symptoms of PTSD and depression that commonly occur together include:

• Trouble concentrating
• Avoidance of social contacts
• Irritability
• Abuse of drugs or alcohol

Please join Ethos Clinic at the Health and Wellness Seminar Series on Nov. 11, 2017 at 2pm in the Berks conference room at the Sands Casino Resort to learn more about how to cope with the effects of traumatic events.