PTSD is like a kaleidoscope of symptoms. These can be so confusing that people who experience PTSD often don’t know that they have the condition. But understanding this pattern of symptoms is the fist stage of getting help, and is the basis for diagnosis. In this episode, I explore the symptoms, including when and where they manifest, and what they feel like. 

In this episode: 

• Outline and the purpose of the episode (1:18) 
• The Mind webpage on PTSD symptoms (2:29) 
• Diagnosis (3:39) 
• Each person's experience of PTSD is unique (4:13) 
• Reliving aspects of what happened (5:21) 
• Alertness or feeling on edge (20:06) 
• Avoiding feelings or memories (29:47) 
• Difficult beliefs or feelings (43:05) 
• Track of the episode: Spanish Sahara - FOALS (49:44) 

Music: 

• Spanish Sahara - FOALS (YouTube) https://youtu.be/eYoINidnLRQ
• Spanish Sahara - FOALS (Spotify) https://spoti.fi/3R8EIPj
• Hostages playlist (Spotify) https://spoti.fi/3AJC8bx

More information: 

For more information, helplines and advice (especially in the UK), visit https://www.mind.org.uk 

For international mental health helplines visit https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm 

Credits: 

Opening and closing background music: Background Ambient Emotions by Coma-Media https://pixabay.com/music/id-11408/

This episode of Hostages concerns the difficult issue of diagnosis. While diagnosis is mostly accepted for physical health conditions, for mental health diagnosis can be problematic in several ways. In this episode I explore the upsides and downsides of diagnosis, and how it affected my path to recovery. The track for this episode is 'All you good good people' by Embrace. 

Music:

• All you good good people - Embrace (YouTube) https://youtu.be/jLi2EkEQo2g
• All you good good people - Embrace (Spotify) https://spoti.fi/3PS2AoN
• Hostages playlist (Spotify) https://spoti.fi/3AJC8bx

More information:

For more information, helplines and advice (especially in the UK), visit www.mind.org.uk

For international mental health helplines visit https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm

Credits:

Opening and closing background music: Background Ambient Emotions by Coma-Media https://pixabay.com/music/id-11408/

Why start a podcast about trauma and mental health? This first episode of Hostages explains. I introduce some of my own story, what motivated me to produce the podcast, and what I have planned, with me and my guests.  

Music:

• Start again - Lottery Winners (featuring Frank Turner) (YouTube) https://youtu.be/RMV-4zrdSl4
• Start again - Lottery Winners (featuring Frank Turner) (Spotify) https://spoti.fi/3KCxgJP
• Hostages playlist (Spotify) https://spoti.fi/3AJC8bx

More information:

For more information, helplines and advice (especially in the UK), visit https://www.mind.org.uk

For international mental health helplines visit https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm

Credits:

Opening and closing background music: Background Ambient Emotions by Coma-Media https://pixabay.com/music/id-11408/

This trailer gives a flavour of some of the topics that will feature over the coming weeks and months. This includes symptoms of trauma-related mental health conditions. recovery and wider issues. 

Music:

• Hostages playlist (Spotify) https://spoti.fi/3AJC8bx

More information:

For more information, helplines and advice (especially in the UK), visit https://www.mind.org.uk

For international mental health helplines visit https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm

Credits:

Opening and closing background music: Background Ambient Emotions by Coma-Media https://pixabay.com/music/id-11408/