Causes & Symptoms of PTSD
How To Cure Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
As part of our everyday lives, all of us can have
an experience that is excessively frightening and beyond our control.
We could find ourselves in a car crash, the victim of an assault,
or see an accident. Police, fire brigade or ambulance workers are
more likely to have such experiences – they often have to
encounter horrifying scenes as part of their jobs. Even soldiers
may be shot or blown up, and see friends killed or injured.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an emotional
illness that develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening,
or otherwise highly unsafe experience. Most people, in time, get
over experiences like these without needing help. In some people,
though, traumatic experiences set off a reaction that can last for
many months or years.
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Background of PTSD
Although this condition has, in all likelihood,
existed since human beings have endured trauma, PTSD has only been
recognized as a formal diagnosis since 1980. However, it was called
by different names as early as the American Civil War, when combat
veterans were referred to as suffering from "soldier's heart."
In World War I, symptoms that were generally consistent
with PTSD were referred to as "Combat Fatigue." Soldiers
who developed such symptoms in World War II were said to be suffering
from "Gross Stress Reaction," and many who fought in Vietnam
who had symptoms of what is now called PTSD were assessed as having
"Post-Vietnam Syndrome."
PTSD has also been called "Battle Fatigue"
and "Shell Shock". Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(C-PTSD) usually results from prolonged exposure to a traumatic
event or series thereof and is characterized by long-lasting problems
with many aspects of emotional and social functioning.
The World Health Organization has defined it as:
‘A delayed or protracted response to a stressful event or
situation (either short or long-lasting) of an exceptionally threatening
or long-lasting nature, which is likely to cause pervasive distress
in almost anyone.’
Most people associate PTSD with battle-scarred
soldiers, and indeed, military combat is the most common cause of
PTSD in men. But any catastrophic life experience—a hurricane,
a mugging, a horrific accident—can trigger the disorder, especially
if the event is perceived as unpredictable and uncontrollable.
Traumatic events that can lead to PTSD include:
War
Natural Disaster
Car or Plane Crash
Terrorist Attack
Rape
Kidnapping
Violent Assault
Sexual or Physical Abuse
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How Does PTSD Develop?
All people with PTSD have either survived or witnessed a traumatic
event that caused them to fear for their lives, see horrible things,
and feel helpless. This event has left an indelible impression
in their mind that has created changes in the brain that may result
in PTSD.
Most people who go through a traumatic event have some symptoms
at the beginning. Yet only some will develop PTSD. It isn't clear
why some people develop PTSD and others don't. How likely you
are to get PTSD depends on many things.
These include:
The magnitude and duration of the trauma
Your attachment or nearness to the person/
people who died
The extent of physical harm you suffered
Your proximity to the event
How deeply the event affected you
How much you felt in control of events
How much help and support you got after the
event
Many people who develop PTSD get better in time. But about 1
out of 3 people with PTSD may continue to have some symptoms.
Even if you continue to have symptoms, treatment can help you
cope. Your symptoms don't have to interfere with your everyday
activities, work, and relationships.
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Symptoms of PTSD come unexpectedly, gradually,
or even appear many years later and how they develop differs from
person to person. Basically, there are 4 types of symptoms that
all patients of PTSD typically manifest:
Re-experiencing the Traumatic Event,
Avoiding Reminders of the Trauma,
Feeling numb, and
Hyper-Arousal or Heightened Anxiety.
In the days or months following a traumatic event,
you may find yourself alternating between re-experiencing the event
and avoiding reminders of it, feeling emotionally numb and experiencing
increased arousal.
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Re-experiencing The Event
This is one of the most unsettling symptoms of
PTSD that involves reliving the traumatic event by way of intrusive
thoughts, flashbacks, and nightmares. Your mind would be full of
the terrifying images and sounds of what took place. Sometimes there
is a trigger: a sound or sight that causes you to relive the event.
Triggers might include:
Watching a war movie can bring back memories
of gunfire and war for a combat veteran
Seeing a news report of a car accident can
revive the memory of the accident for a survivor
Hearing someone talk of a sexual assault
may bring conjure up images of the horrific assault for a woman
who was raped
Avoiding Reminders of the Trauma
Symptoms of avoidance are prominent in PTSD. You
may purposefully skirt situations that remind you of the traumatic
event, avoid talking about it or push all thoughts of it out of
your mind in order to minimize the significance of the event.
You may manifest a deliberate inability to remember
important dates, places or events related to the trauma. You may
also experience a sense of a limited future: you don’t expect
to live a normal life-span, get married, have a career.
Feeling Numb
You may find it hard to express your feelings.
This is another way to avoid memories. You may not have positive
or loving feelings towards other people and may feel detached and
estranged from people around you. You may not be interested in activities
you used to enjoy or in life in general.
State of Hyper-Arousal
PTSD makes you feel as if you are continuously
in a state of danger and therefore this state puts you and your
body on high alert at all times. You find it hard to fall and stay
asleep. There are frequent bursts of anger, as the state of hyper-arousal
becomes a chronic condition.
Moreover, hyper-arousal and hyper vigilance go
together and therefore, you find yourself to be constantly “on
guard”. You also develop an exaggerated startle response or
jumpiness.
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Some other Symptoms
Apart from those mentioned above, you may also
experience some other symptoms depending on the kind of trauma you
underwent.
For instance, if you are the lone survivor of a
car accident where all others died, then you might experience feelings
of guilt and hopelessness. You may also blame yourself for what
happened and feel a sense of shame.
An array of physical symptoms have also been associated
with PTSD and these include: headaches, stomach problems, chest
pain etc.
Long-term complications of PTSD include Depression,
Panic Attacks and other Psychological issues. Substance Abuse is
another common complication, especially if you’re resorting
to alcohol and drugs in an attempt to cope with the symptoms of
PTSD.
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If you think that you or a loved one has PTSD,
it’s important to seek help right away. This is particularly
important if your symptoms are interfering with your work or home
life.
Unfortunately, many people with PTSD don’t
seek out the treatment they need. Some resist treatment because
they’re worried what others will think or believe that they
should be able to get over the problem on their own. Others aren’t
ready to face the trauma and the strong emotions associated with
it.
When you have PTSD dealing with the past can be
hard. Instead of telling others how you feel, you may keep your
feelings bottled up. But talking with a therapist can help you get
better.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Group Therapy
are generally felt to be the more promising treatments for PTSD.
They're often performed by therapists experienced in a particular
type of trauma, such as rape counselors.
Exposure Therapy, in which the patient re-lives
the experience under controlled conditions in order to work through
the trauma, can also be beneficial.
Another therapy, which is also being used to treat
PSTD, is called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
that is used for PTSD.
Medications have also been shown to be effective.
A type of drug known as a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
(SSRI), which is also used for depression, is effective for PTSD.
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Some Facts & Figures About PTSD:
Experiencing a traumatic event is not rare. About 60% of men
and 50% of women experience this type of event in their lives.
Women are more likely to experience sexual assault and child
sexual abuse. Men are more likely to experience accidents, physical
assault, combat, or disaster or to witness death or injury.
Going through a traumatic event doesn't mean you'll get PTSD.
About 8% of men and 20% of women develop PTSD after a traumatic
event.
In the United States, about 8% of the population will have
PTSD symptoms at some point in their lives.
About 7.7 million adults have PTSD during a given year. This
is only a small portion of those who have experienced a traumatic
event.
Women are more likely than men to develop PTSD. About 10% of
women develop PTSD compared with 5% of men.
Women are more likely than men to develop PTSD for all types
of traumatic events, except sexual assault or abuse. When these
traumas occur, men are just as likely as women to get PTSD.
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