Baggage Check: Metro PTSD

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Dr. Andrea Bonior dives into the world of psychology.

THE DEVASTATION OF Monday's Metro accident will have ripple affects throughout various families and communities for years to come.

My heart goes out to those who lost someone close to them. Those who survived, or even just witnessed, the accident have a difficult road ahead of them as well.

It is normal to experience significant stress symptoms after such a horrifying event. Nonetheless, it's important to be aware of the risk of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. If any of the below symptoms are severe, getting in the way of moving forward in daily life, or persist for longer than a month or two, it is definitely a good idea to seek help:

» Frequently reliving the accident in your head, or having flashbacks that feel real

» Having frequent nightmares, or severe difficulty sleeping

» Being hypervigilant, jumpy, or easily startled

» Having physical symptoms like heart palpitations or sweating when faced with reminders of the accident

» Putting forth a lot of effort to avoid places or things that remind you of the accident

» Losing pleasure in things that used to cause joy; feeling hopeless or overly disconnected from others

» Feeling like your life will be cut short

» Feeling overly irritable or having a lot of difficulty concentrating

» Making a concerted effort to avoid any and all thoughts, feelings or talk of the accident, or feeling that you've completely "blocked" it out

Real help is available. A good place to start is www.apahelpcenter.org.