I’m a stranger behind the same set of eyes that the girl in the photo holds.

– Amanda Steele, The Cliff

Traumatic events such as military combat, assault, an accident or natural disaster can have long lasting negative effects. Sometimes our biological response and instinct, which can be life saving during a crisis, leave people with ongoing psychological symptoms because they are not integrated into consciousness. PTSD effects 3.5 % of the US Population about 7.7 million Americans. Women are more likely to develop this condition than men. While PTSD can occur at any age, the average age of onset is in a person early 20’s.

• intrusive memories, which includes flashback and reliving the moment of the trauma, bad dream and scary thoughts

• Avoidance, which include staying away from certain places or objects that are reminders of the traumatic event. A person may feel numb, guilty, worried or depressed or have trouble remembering the traumatic event

• Dissociation, which can include an outer body experience or feeling that the world is “not real” (derealization)

• Hypervigilance, which can include being startled very easily, feeling tense, trouble sleeping or outburst of anger.

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