Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a term for certain psychological consequences of exposure to, or confrontation with, stressful experiences that the person experiences as highly traumatic . But sometimes people face situations that are so traumatic that they may become unable to cope and function in their daily lives. A person who feels this way months after a traumatic experience has passed may be suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, a serious and common health condition. Trauma occurs when a person has experienced, witnessed, or been confronted with a terrible event that is an actual occurrence. Alternatively, the person may have been threatened with a terrible event, perhaps injury (physical or psychological) or death to themselves or others. However, in these cases more sophisticated approaches are usually necessary. Post traumatic stress disorder is also referred to as shell shock or battle fatigue (when describing the disorder in combat veterans) and as postrape syndrome. Post-traumatic stress affects both men and women, and can affect children as well. Women are much more likely to suffer from the disorder though - of those women exposed to a traumatic event, 20% will exhibit symptoms of PTSD, and 30% of those women will develop chronic post-traumatic stress disorder.

Although many people still equate PTSD with combat trauma, the experience most likely to produce PTSD is rape. Actually, however, it was his contemporary, Pierre Janet, who wrote most brilliantly and eloquently on traumatic stress. In fact, he was really the first person to describe the full syndrome (group of symptoms) of post-traumatic stress disorder. Recent studies have shown that childhood abuse (particularly sexual abuse) is a strong predictor of the lifetime likelihood of developing PTSD. The worse the trauma, the more likely a person will develop PTSD, and the worse the symptoms. The most severely affected are unable to work, have trouble with relationships, and have great difficulty parenting their children. PTSD occurs after a distressing event, like war, terrorism, torture, natural disasters, accidents, violence, or rape. Usually the disorder begins within three months of this experience, although the disorder can take years to appear in some cases. Common PTSD effects include extreme fear, depression , and anxiety. It is important to note, however, that having strong reactions to trauma is normal. What's more, there is a range (spectrum) of expected reactions depending on a person's prior exposure to trauma and even on hereditary (genetic) factors.

Causes of Ptsd

The common Causes of Ptsd :

• Violent crimes, such as rape, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, or physical assault.
• A serious accident, injury, or change in health, such as a car wreck or diagnosis of a life-threatening illness.
• A natural disaster such as a fire, tornado, flood, or earthquake.
• This may put you at a higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress.
• Men and women with a history of drug or alcohol abuse, experiences of childhood physical abuse or neglect, or who have previously experienced sexual abuse, unwanted sexual contact, or rape are more likely to develop PTSD .

Symptoma of Ptsd

Some common Symptoma of Ptsd :

• Feeling emotionally numb or detached from others.
• Avoiding situations that are reminiscent of the traumatic event.
• Having trouble sleeping.
• Fever.
• Being irritable, angry or jumpy.
• Avoiding responsibility for others .
• Irritability.
• Sleep disturbance.
• Fainting.
• Dizziness .

Treatment of Ptsd

• Anti-depressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac) have been found to be effective in treating PTSD, although a doctor must monitor their use as they can have side effects.
• anti-anxiety medications or anti-depressants to calm anxiety and stabilize mood while other self-care tools are learned
• used most frequently in conjunction with standard psychotherapies
• A variety of treatment options are available for sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder. For best results, your doctor may recommend a combination of therapies.
• Medications such as clonazepam (Klonopin) and lorazepam (Ativan) may decrease feelings of anxiety.
• Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder with behavior therapy can be effective, and the prognosis for long-term success is good.