Can You Get PTSD from News Reports of Tragedies?

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• Can You Get PTSD from News Reports of Tragedies?
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Video: My Personal Bipolar Stigma Story
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

Can You Get PTSD from News Reports of Tragedies?

Is it possible to get post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from news reports of tragedies?

When tragedy strikes, the event is often replayed and rehashed in an endless loop, online and off. The recent Amtrak derailment near Tacoma, Washington, that resulted in many casualties is one such traumatic event. The accident was indeed a tragedy, and if you were upset by all of the reports of it, you weren’t alone. Feelings and thoughts can be intense.

While it is possible to experience an extreme stress reaction from repeatedly seeing images from and hearing about a tragedy, this alone won’t lead to PTSD or its short-term counterpart acute stress disorder (ASD). According to the American Psychiatric Association, these requirements must be met for a diagnosis of PTSD or ASD:

• Directly experiencing a traumatic event such as a serious accident
• Witnessing a serious accident or event
• Learning about the event through a news or other report only if the accident or event is violent or unexpected and involves relatives or friends

If you are struggling to deal with information about a traumatic event, be sure to practice self-care and use stress-reduction techniques to deal with reports of tragedies. Rest assured that unless you meet the above criteria, you won’t develop PTSD or ASD from news reports of tragedies.

Related Articles Dealing with PTSD and Tragic Events

• When Tragedy Strikes: How to Emotionally Handle Disaster
• What to do When Current Events Cause Anxiety
• Traumatic Events and How to Cope
• PTSD Test: “Do I Have PTSD?”

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: How do you take care of your mental health when you keep seeing images and hearing news reports of a traumatic event, over and over again? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, knowledge, and experiences on the HealthyPlace Facebook page and on the HealthyPlace Google+ page.

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From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• Finding a Routine with Bipolar Disorder Is No Easy Task
• Three Hobbies to Calm Anxiety That Work for Me
• Binge Eating Recovery Tip for the New Year: Take Small Steps
• New Year Anxiety: Four Calming Thoughts for the New Year
• Bipolar Disorder and Inner Restlessness — What Is It; How to Cope
• How Do You Know If You Are an Alcoholic?
• Is There a Reason for Hearing Voices Twice this Week?
• Why Weekend Depression Strikes and What to Do About It
• 18 Ways to Reduce Anxiety This Year
• How to Boost Your Self-Esteem When You Have Depression
• How to Care for Someone with PTSD

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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From HealthyPlace YouTube Channel

I'm Hannah. I Have Bipolar 2

My Personal Bipolar Stigma Story

When you live with bipolar disorder or any mental health condition, stigma is the most significant challenge to confront. As someone who is public about my life with bipolar 2 disorder; I face bipolar stigma on a daily basis. To many people's surprise, it does not bother me as much as you may think. Why? I don't believe or absorb the messages that bipolar stigma sends to me or the general public. (Watch Hannah)

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Social Anxiety and Performance Anxiety Aren’t Your Directors
2. Mental Illness and Addiction: My Co-occurring Brain Disorders
3. Trauma Is Unfair: But You Can Heal Anyway

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"It's okay not to do everything at once. Take your time."

Read more anxiety quotes.

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