Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) previously known as battle fatigue or shell shock syndrome is a grave condition that could be developed after a person has witnessed or experienced a terrifying or traumatic event where serious physical harm was threatened or occurred. PTSD is a lasting result of disturbing ordeals that result in helplessness, extreme fear, or horror, for instance a physical or sexual assault, the sudden demise of a loved one, war, natural disaster or an accident. The victim’s families, rescue workers and emergency personnel could also develop post-traumatic stress disorder.
The majority people who experience a disturbing event would have reactions such as shock, nervousness, anger, guilt and fear. It is common to have such reactions and for a lot of people, they go away after a period of time. However, a person with PTSD will have continued feelings and could even increase or become so powerful that they would stop a person from leading a normal life. The symptoms in people with PTSD last longer than one month and will not function the same way they did before the event occurred.
PTSD - Symptoms
Symptoms of PTSD most usually start within three months of the event. However, in a few cases they may not start until years later. The duration and seriousness of the illness could vary. A few people recuperate within six months, whereas for others it may take much longer.
Symptoms of PTSD are usually grouped in three main categories that include:
Re-living: People suffering with PTSD continually re-live the ordeal through memories and thoughts of the trauma. They might include hallucinations, nightmares and flashbacks. They may also experience great suffering when things remind them of the trauma, for example the date of the event.
Avoiding: The person with PTSD might avoid people, thoughts, situations and places that is a remainder of the trauma. This could result in feelings of indifference and separation from family and friends, in addition to losing interest in activities that the person previously enjoyed.
Increased arousal: These include extreme emotions; problems involving others, including displaying or feeling affection; trouble in falling or remaining asleep; bad temper; angry outbursts; difficulty in concentrating; and being nervous or startled. The person could also suffer physical symptoms, for example increase heart rate, high blood pressure, muscle tension, diarrhea, nausea and rapid breathing.
Young children with PTSD might suffer from tardy development in certain areas like language, motor skills and toilet training.
PTSD - Who gets it?
The reaction of each person to traumatic events is different. Everyone has their own way of managing stress and fear as well as in coping with danger posed by a traumatic situation or event. Therefore, not all people who witness or experience a traumatic event will develop PTSD. Additionally, the kind of assistance and support such a person receives from family; friends and professionals after the trauma could have an influence on the development of PTSD or the seriousness of the symptoms.
PTSD was first noticed by the medical community after observing war veterans. Therefore the names battle fatigue and shell shock syndrome. But, PTSD could develop in any person who has experienced a disturbing event. Victims of child abuse or people who have been continually facing life-threatening situations are more prone to developing PTSD. Trauma victims related to sexual and physical assault have a greatest risk for developing PTSD.
PTSD - How common is it?
Approximately 3.6% of adult Americans which is nearly about 5.2 million people suffer from PTSD during a year and a likely 7.8 million Americans experience PTSD some time during their lives. The development of PTSD could be at any age, even childhood. It is more probable that women develop PTSD when compared to men. It could be due to the reason that women are more prone to be victims of rape, abuse and domestic violence.
PTSD - How is it diagnosed?
In case there are PTSD symptoms, the doctor starts an assessment by doing a through medical history analysis and physical exam. Even though there is no laboratory test to particularly diagnose PTSD, the doctor might use a variety of tests to discard physical illness as the reason of the symptoms.
In case it is found that there is no physical illness, you may be asked to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist, mental health professionals specially trained in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. Psychologists and psychiatrists make use of specially designed interview methods and assessment tools to assess if a person has an anxiety disorder. The diagnosis of PTSD by the doctor is the based on the reported symptoms as well as the occurrence of any problems with functioning as a result of these symptoms. It is then determined by the doctor if the symptoms and extent of dysfunction signifies PTSD. If the symptoms of PTSD last for more than a month, it is the diagnosed as PTSD.
PTSD - How is it treated?
The objective of PTSD treatment is to decrease the physical and emotional symptoms linked with PTSD, to improve everyday functioning and to assist the person handle the event that triggered the disorder. PTSD treatment could involve medication, psychotherapy (which is a type of counseling), or both.
Medication
In treating PTSD, doctors utilize antidepressant medications as it helps to control anxiety and related symptoms, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for instance Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, Zoloft and Prozac, as well as tricyclic antidepressants like Doxepin and ElIavil. Tranquilizers for example Klonopin and Ativan; mood stabilizers for example Lamictal and Depakote; and neuroleptics for example Abilify and Seroquel could be used sometimes.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy to treat PTSD involves assisting a person to learn skills to handle the symptoms and develop methods of coping with them. Therapy also seeks to teach the person as well as their family about the disorder, and assist the person deal with the fears related to the traumatic event.
Also there are different approaches of psychotherapy that can be used to treat people having PTSD, such as:
Cognitive-behavior therapy involves learning to identify and modify thought patterns that cause troublesome feelings, behavior or emotions.
Exposure therapy is a kind of cognitive-behavior therapy that requires a person re-live the traumatic event or exposure to situations or objects that causes anxiety. This is conducted in a safe and controlled environment. Exposure therapy aids the person to face the fear and slowly become more relaxed with situations that are scary and cause anxiety. Such treatments have been very successful in PTSD treatment.
Psychodynamic therapy seeks to help a person to scrutinize personal values as well as emotional conflicts that is caused by a traumatic event.
Family therapy might assist as the behavior of the person suffering from PTSD could effect other family members.
Group therapy might also assist by allowing the person to share fears, feeling and thoughts with other people who have also gone through traumatic events.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a complex type of psychotherapy initially designed to ease the distress related to the traumatic memories but is presently also used to treat phobias.
PTSD - What is the outlook for people suffering from PTSD?
Recovery from PTSD is a slow and continuing process. Symptoms of PTSD rarely go away completely, although treatment could help people suffering to learn to handle it more efficiently. Treatment could result in reduced and less intense symptoms, in addition to a better ability to handle by managing the feelings associated to the trauma.
Research is continuing into the reasons that cause PTSD and into discovering new treatments.
PTSD – Can it be prevented?
Some studies recommend that early intervention in cases of people who have suffered a trauma could reduce some symptoms of PTSD or avert it completely.
