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Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
Every year on 27 June Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day is observed to create awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder and throws light on the effects post-traumatic stress has on people's lives who have been impacted by it.
Have you ever felt afraid after a traumatic situation or have you ever come across a person who has had the same feeling? Almost everyone has experienced this kind of emotional trauma at some point in their lives, but this goes away after some time. However, some people continue to experience this trauma for a long time and it is termed as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What Is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder?
It is a mental health condition triggered by a traumatic or frightening incident in which serious physical harm occurred or was threatened. PTSD causes intense fear, horror or helplessness, such as physical assault or unexpected death of a loved one, accident, war, and natural disaster [1].
Study findings show that adults residing in the Kashmir Valley in India experience high levels of PTSD symptoms [2].
As per the National Center for PTSD, about 7 or 8 out of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lives.
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What Causes Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
The types of incidents that cause PTSD are as follows:
•
A
traumatic
birth
[3]
•
Serious
accident
•
Violent
physical
assaults
[4]
•
Prolonged
sexual
abuse
•
Military
combat
•
Being
held
as
a
hostage
•
Seeing
violent
deaths
•
Terrorist
attacks
•
Natural
disasters
•
Diagnosis
of
a
life-threatening
condition
•
Unexpected
death
of
a
close
family
member
Symptoms Of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
The symptoms of PTSD are divided into four types - intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions [5].
a) Intrusive memories
The symptoms are:
•
Reliving
the
traumatic
event
•
Recurrent,
unwanted
distressing
memories
of
the
frightening
event
•
Emotional
distress
that
reminds
you
of
the
traumatic
event
•
Dreams
or
nightmares
about
the
event
b) Negative changes in thinking and mood
The symptoms are:
•
Hopelessness
about
the
future
•
Negative
thoughts
about
yourself
•
Memory
problems
•
Lack
of
interest
in
activities
•
Difficulty
in
maintaining
close
relationships
•
Detachment
from
family
and
friends
•
Feeling
emotionally
numb
•
Difficulty
in
experiencing
positive
emotions
c) Avoidance
The symptoms are:
•
Avoiding
places
or
activities
that
remind
you
of
the
traumatic
event
•
Trying
to
avoid
thinking
or
talking
about
the
frightening
event
d) Changes in physical and emotional reactions
The symptoms are:
•
Getting
easily
startled
or
frightened
•
Having
trouble
sleeping
•
Self-destructive
behaviour
•
Always
being
on
guard
for
danger
•
Trouble
in
concentrating
•
Overwhelming
guilt
or
shame
•
Irritation,
anger
or
aggressive
behaviour
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Post-traumatic Stress Disorder In Children
Children can also get affected by PTSD and they experience similar symptoms like adults, such as trouble in sleeping, losing interest in activities, physical symptoms like stomach aches and headaches, etc.
Children who are six years old and younger experience symptoms like re-enacting the traumatic event through play, and frightening dreams [6].
Risk Factors For Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
•
Intense
or
long-lasting
trauma
•
Experiencing
anxiety
and
depression
•
Having
a
job
that
increases
your
risk
of
being
exposed
to
traumatic
events
•
Having
blood
relatives
with
mental
health
problems
•
Having
problems
with
substance
abuse
•
Lacking
a
good
support
system
of
family
and
friends
[7]
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Complications Of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
•
Depression
and
anxiety
•
Drugs
or
alcohol
abuse
•
Suicidal
thoughts
•
Eating
disorders
When To See A Doctor
If
you
are
having
disturbing
thoughts
about
the
traumatic
event
for
more
than
a
month,
if
you
are
having
trouble
in
getting
back
to
your
normal
life,
or
if
you
are
having
suicidal
thoughts,
consult
a
doctor.
Getting
treatment
as
soon
as
possible
can
help
prevent
PTSD
symptoms.
Diagnosis Of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
The doctor will start by doing a physical examination and ask about your medical history. The doctor will then do a psychological evaluation wherein specially designed interview and assessment tools are provided to evaluate the person with PTSD.
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Treatment Of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD treatment involves medication and psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy [8]
It involves helping the person learn skills to manage PTSD symptoms and develop ways of coping with it. The types of psychotherapy used in PTSD treatment are:
• Cognitive therapy - This type of therapy involves learning to recognize and change thought patterns that lead to troubled feelings, emotions, and behaviour.
• Exposure therapy - A type of behavioural therapy that aids the person in confronting fear and frightening memories, so that he/she can learn to cope with the situation.
• Group therapy - It allows the person to share thoughts, feelings, and fears with other people who have experienced traumatic situations.
• Psychodynamic therapy - This therapy helps the person examine personal values and the emotional conflicts caused by distressing events.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) - It is combined with exposure therapy and a series of guided eye movements that let you process distressing memories and change how you react to them [9].
Medications
• Antianxiety medications - The medications are given to relieve severe anxiety problems.
• Antidepressants - They help in lowering the symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve sleep problems and concentration. Sertraline and paroxetine medicines are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating PTSD.
Prazosin is another type of medication used for nightmares.
If you face any side effects with medicines, speak to your doctor. Taking the medications on time will bring improvement in your mood and symptoms within a few weeks.
A person with PTSD should get timely help and support to prevent the disorder from getting worse.
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