The persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest that characterizes major depression can lead to a range of emotional and physical conditions. These include inability to sleep or concentrate on tasks. Changes in appetite, decreased energy level, and thoughts of suicide are also seen.

People may experience:

Mood: anxiety, apathy, general discontent, guilt, hopelessness, inability to feel pleasure, loss of interest, mood swings, or sadness

Sleep: early awakening, excess sleepiness, insomnia, or restless sleep

Whole body: excessive hunger, fatigue, loss of appetite, or restlessness

Behavioral: agitation, excessive crying, irritability, or social isolation

Cognitive: lack of concentration, slowness in activity and thought, or thoughts of suicide

Weight: weight gain or weight loss
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Also common: poor appetite or repeatedly going over thoughts

Kim G. Sherman, MA, LCPC at Des Plaines Wellness located in Des Plaines, Illinois offers a multitude of Person-Centered Therapy services available, assisting individuals, couples and families in need of guidance, direction and support through life transitions as well as mental health issues.

If you’ve had a traumatic experience, you may be struggling with disturbing emotions, frightening memories or a sense that something bad is going to happen. You might also feel numb, disconnected and unable to trust others. Emotional trauma results from extremely stressful events that shatter your sense of security, leaving you feeling helpless and vulnerable.
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an outcome of psychological trauma. This can happen when someone has witnessed or experienced a traumatic event that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to his or her own physical integrity. In PTSD, the person responds with intense fear, helplessness or horror. (Children may respond with disorganized or agitated behavior.)
People with PTSD may re-experience the trauma through flashbacks or recurring nightmares. They may avoid people, places or things that remind them of the stressful event. People with PTSD may also experience some of these symptoms:

• Efforts to avoid the thoughts, feelings, places or people associated with the trauma
• Inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma
• Marked decrease in interest in significant activities
• Feeling estranged from others
• Unable to love or have other feelings
• Feelings of doom
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Outbursts of anger
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling overanxious
• Exaggerated startle response

Contact Kim G. Sherman, LCPC at Des Plaines Wellness today for Sexual Assault & Abuse Treatment Recovery.