Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder that a person can suffer from after experiencing a trauma. The patient experiences a situation where he feels that either he himself or someone around him is in a life-threatening situation and the experience is extremely scary or horrible.
Common Traumatic Events That Cause PTSD
The following are common traumatic events that patients can experience that can cause PTSD:
· Serving in military combat
· Sexual or physical abuse as a child
· Physical or sexual assault (rape, mugging, etc.)
· Terrorism attack
· Natural disaster (flood, tornado, etc.)
· Severe accident (car crash, being shot, etc.)
· Severe medical crisis (heart attack, stroke, etc.)
· Incarceration or other captivity (kidnapping, hospital confinement, etc.)
Symptoms of PTSD
There are many different symptoms of PTSD that a person may experience. Much depends on the type of traumatic event and whether the person went through it himself or whether he witnessed someone else experience the trauma.
· Reliving the event – a veteran hearing fireworks go off and experiencing combat again or a rape victim smelling a certain cologne and reliving the attack because her attacker wore that scent
· Avoidance – a mugging victim avoiding parking garages because that is where the crime took place or a flood victim avoiding TV shows or movies about floods
· Feeling numb – a person may lose interest in people or activities that used to bring joy or may forget parts of the traumatic event as a form of protection from the pain
· Feeling jittery – having trouble concentrating or sleeping, getting angry easily and for no real reason, being irritable, easily startled or feeling on guard all the time
· Alcohol and drugs – many suffers of PTSD turn to drugs and alcohol to block out pain and depression
· Feeling depressed or hopeless
· Employment issues – having trouble holding down a job
· Relationship issues – having trouble with interpersonal relationships which can result in divorce or domestic violence issues
Treatment for PTSD
If you or a loved one is suffering from PTSD, don’t give up hope. Go see your doctor as soon as possible and see about treatment. There are some very effective treatment options out there that can make a world of difference. In the past decade there have been some amazing breakthroughs in both drug therapy and psychotherapy treatments for PTSD that are showing remarkable results. The following are some of the options your doctor may suggest:
· Cognitive therapy – helps a person understand and change the way he feels about the traumatic event
· Exposure therapy – helps a person stop feeling fear and pain when he thinks about the trauma
· Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) – helps desensitize a person to his trauma by helping distract him with movement
· Group therapy – helps a person cope with symptoms by talking about his experiences with others who share those experiences
· Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy – helps the person understand how his past affects how he currently feels. The person is taught to deal with the emotional conflicts caused by the trauma.
· Antidepressants – there are many drugs on the market today that lessen depression symptoms through changes in brain chemistry
If you or a loved one is suffering from PTSD, don’t wait to get treatment. See a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Traumatic events leave a lasting impression on the mind and a person who has experienced such an event needs help to get through the aftermath. There are effective treatments out there and people waiting to help.
Common Traumatic Events That Cause PTSD
The following are common traumatic events that patients can experience that can cause PTSD:
· Serving in military combat
· Sexual or physical abuse as a child
· Physical or sexual assault (rape, mugging, etc.)
· Terrorism attack
· Natural disaster (flood, tornado, etc.)
· Severe accident (car crash, being shot, etc.)
· Severe medical crisis (heart attack, stroke, etc.)
· Incarceration or other captivity (kidnapping, hospital confinement, etc.)
Symptoms of PTSD
There are many different symptoms of PTSD that a person may experience. Much depends on the type of traumatic event and whether the person went through it himself or whether he witnessed someone else experience the trauma.
· Reliving the event – a veteran hearing fireworks go off and experiencing combat again or a rape victim smelling a certain cologne and reliving the attack because her attacker wore that scent
· Avoidance – a mugging victim avoiding parking garages because that is where the crime took place or a flood victim avoiding TV shows or movies about floods
· Feeling numb – a person may lose interest in people or activities that used to bring joy or may forget parts of the traumatic event as a form of protection from the pain
· Feeling jittery – having trouble concentrating or sleeping, getting angry easily and for no real reason, being irritable, easily startled or feeling on guard all the time
· Alcohol and drugs – many suffers of PTSD turn to drugs and alcohol to block out pain and depression
· Feeling depressed or hopeless
· Employment issues – having trouble holding down a job
· Relationship issues – having trouble with interpersonal relationships which can result in divorce or domestic violence issues
Treatment for PTSD
If you or a loved one is suffering from PTSD, don’t give up hope. Go see your doctor as soon as possible and see about treatment. There are some very effective treatment options out there that can make a world of difference. In the past decade there have been some amazing breakthroughs in both drug therapy and psychotherapy treatments for PTSD that are showing remarkable results. The following are some of the options your doctor may suggest:
· Cognitive therapy – helps a person understand and change the way he feels about the traumatic event
· Exposure therapy – helps a person stop feeling fear and pain when he thinks about the trauma
· Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) – helps desensitize a person to his trauma by helping distract him with movement
· Group therapy – helps a person cope with symptoms by talking about his experiences with others who share those experiences
· Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy – helps the person understand how his past affects how he currently feels. The person is taught to deal with the emotional conflicts caused by the trauma.
· Antidepressants – there are many drugs on the market today that lessen depression symptoms through changes in brain chemistry
If you or a loved one is suffering from PTSD, don’t wait to get treatment. See a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Traumatic events leave a lasting impression on the mind and a person who has experienced such an event needs help to get through the aftermath. There are effective treatments out there and people waiting to help.
