Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an emotional illness that is usually caused by an experience in an individual’s life that can be described as traumatic or frightening.
The individual develops crippling fears and phobias of the people, places, or situations that remind him or her of the traumatic event. The disorder can affect both adults and children, and statistics have shown that approximately 7%-8% of people in the United States will develop PTSD in their lifetime.
What Causes PTSD?
PTSD is caused by stressful or disturbing situations in a person’s life. Any event that is life-threatening, dangerous, frightening, or that compromises the emotional well-being of an individual can cause the disorder. Such events may include experiencing a severe accident or injury, receiving a devastating medical diagnosis, being the victim of rape, kidnapping, or torture, exposure to a catastrophic event, exposure to war combat, enduring physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, and experiencing any event that is stressful or upsetting. Individuals may also develop PTSD after experiencing events that aren’t necessarily traumatic but are classified as devastating, such as the loss of a job or going through a divorce.
Factors that put individuals at a higher risk for PTSD include an increased duration of a traumatic event, a larger number of traumatic events experienced, more severe trauma endured, suffering from an emotional condition prior to the event, or having limited social support and lack of friends or family prior to or during the event. Children and teenagers, females, and people dealing with learning disabilities or a troubling home life are at a greater risk of developing the disorder as well.
What are the Symptoms of PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms are generally grouped into three different types: intrusive memories, avoidance, and hyperarousal.
Symptoms of intrusive memories:
- Flashbacks of the traumatic event for minutes or sometimes days at a time
- Disturbing dreams about the traumatic event
Symptoms of avoidance:
- Attempting to avoid thinking or talking about the event
- Feeling emotionally numb or paralyzed
- Avoiding activities that were once enjoyed
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Experiencing memory problems
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Experiencing problems maintaining relationships
Symptoms of hyperarousal:
- Anger or irritability
- Feelings of shame or guilt
- Being easily frightened or startled
- Self-destructive behavior
- Insomnia
- Seeing or hearing things that aren’t there
PTSD symptoms can come and go periodically, and times of higher stress can trigger the symptoms of the disorder. In addition, experiencing a reminder of the traumatic situation often causes a person to exhibit symptoms of PTSD.
Treatments for PTSD
PTSD treatments can be very effective and help the individual gain control over his or her life again. Common treatments can include medications to help symptoms of depression and anxiety related to the disorder. Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and prazosin, which is a drug used to relieve recurrent nightmares, can all help with the symptoms of PTSD. Psychotherapy is also a common treatment used, and there are several types of this method of treatment. Cognitive therapy, exposure therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and cognitive behavior therapy are all included in possible treatments for PTSD.
Medications and psychotherapy can help the sufferer control his or her symptoms and deal with the distress of post-traumatic stress disorder. A health care professional should decide which method of treatment should be used for an individual, as there are many factors that will decide what may help the person suffering from the disorder. The important thing to know is that there are ways of dealing with PTSD, and the individual does not have to handle the worry on his own. Coping with this disorder can be daunting and frustrating, but individuals with PTSD have many options at which can help in relieving the burden.
Sources
MayoClinic.com
MedicineNet.com
Courtney Ferry - Courtney Ferry is a recent college graduate with a BA in Media Arts. She is a freelance writer and an aspiring journalist who enjoys ...
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