2: Causes
PTSD development varies for each person. It is possible to develop PTSD in several hours, days, weeks, months, or even years. Although it is unsure how fast this condition develops, what indicates this possibility is the person’s exposure to a traumatic event.
Many people assume that PTSD is only applicable to people who served as soldiers in wars. However, they fail to realize that PTSD can be triggered by any type of traumatic event. Natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions are common causes of PTSD. Because these disasters are linked to destruction, loss of life, and economic downfall, many people’s lives can be negatively affected. In effect, they may have difficulty coping after these events. Violence and accidents are also possible contributors to PTSD. Although directly experiencing the event would raise one’s risk of PTSD development, it is still possible to develop the sickness if a person was present as a witness to the event. He may have difficulty erasing the vivid images of what happened, thus possibly making him anxious about the possibility of it happening again.
While PTSD is commonly triggered by wide-scale events, personal events that occur to the individual may also cause PTSD to surface. People who were kidnapped, raped, assaulted, or abused may develop the problem. Depending on the severity of his experience, PTSD can last for prolonged periods of time. The death of a loved one can also trigger the condition. However, although these may still serve as extreme incidents, there are other people who can possibly develop PTSD after watching horror films or similar media.
In seeing all these possible factors leading to PTSD, it’s clear that negative events are the primary culprits. Such events are usually uncontrollable and unpredictable. For the individual, these may be overwhelming and may cause him to feel helpless and weak. Even if he is removed from the event, the severity of his experience may continue to affect him.
The Biological Explanation to PTSD
It is interesting to know that one’s body is also altered when PTSD develops. Specifically, studies have shown that having higher startle responses alongside minimal hippocampal volume may indicate one’s risk for PTSD. The hippocampus is responsible for storing an individual’s memory. Other than those markers, research has also seen that soldiers who were more prone to manifest PTSD had higher amounts of glucocorticoid receptors in their white blood cells. The receptors control one’s metabolism, development, and immune response.
While external events are suggested causes of PTSD, genetics has been seen as a possible contributor to the condition. In fact, around thirty percent of PTSD cases were caused by genetics. If an individual was also born with a smaller hippocampus, he would be at risk of PTSD development if he experienced a traumatic event. Furthermore, PTSD patients were seen to manifest similar genetic structures with patients who experience other psychiatric disorders like generalized anxiety disorder.
While PTSD development can produce negative effects on the individual, his simultaneous intake of drugs and alcohol can worsen the effects. However, these abuses may even rise when one has PTSD. In effect, he would have a harder time recovering from the disease.
3: Symptoms
Although one may not know when symptoms will occur, people who do fall victim to PTSD will display distinguishable signs. Overtime, the symptoms may spontaneously appear and disappear. However, perhaps clearer indicators of PTSD would arise when the person is exposed to stimuli that remind him of the traumatic event. Hence, it is important to be aware of the person’s reactions and responses to certain noise, words, images, or even smells. In observing PTSD signs, there are three types of symptoms.
Re-experiencing the event
If the person has repetitive dreams or thoughts about a previous traumatic event, he may be experiencing PTSD. His brain hasn’t fully moved on from the event and has proceeded to occasionally entertain the negative feelings attached to it. Hence, there may be times when the individual would suddenly have flashbacks and begin to panic. Although there’s no danger around him, he may begin to act as if the event is occurring again. Nightmares revolving around the re-enactment of the event or similar themes can also be rampant. Other than these, being reminded about the experience can trigger his intense feelings of anxiety and distress. If he confronts elements associated to the event, his body may begin to work harder. These include faster heart beats, rapid breathing, vomiting, sweating, and muscle tension. Even if one may try to calm down the individual, it may take him several minutes to recover from his state.
Avoidance
Knowing that he reacts negatively to anything related to the traumatic experience, the patient may decide to avoid these stimuli. He would rather stay at home than put himself at risk of being exposed to places or activities that can remind him of the trauma. This negative behavior can worsen if he develops less interest for activities and life. In other instances, he too can distance himself from other people and appear to be apathetic. In trying to shove the memories to the back of his mind, he appears to be detached.
Emotional distress
Not all PTSD patients display the avoidance symptom. Instead, they display the opposite. Instead of appearing unaffected by the event, they portray their devastation. They are seen to be pessimistic, helpless, and worrisome. They can also become paranoid in all occasions. Furthermore, they may be more sensitive as they are easily startled. Because of their thoughts, they have difficulty working on tasks. Severe cases include patients spontaneously bursting into tears or throwing tantrums if they remember the event. Moreover, they too can have difficulty sleeping as they are continuously haunted by their experience.
4: Effects
As explained in the previous , multiple symptoms can surface because of PTSD. While these symptoms are severe, they also create a network of other side-effects that can harm the individual’s lifestyle.
Fear
With paranoia and anxiety always present, the patient would have prolonged feelings of fear. As seen in his symptoms, his mind could be clouded with negative thoughts and ideas about the experience. Instead of looking at his daily life with optimism, he would see this in a negative light. Because of fear, his body may also react negatively. Negative hormones could be released to cause him to feel sluggish and lazy. He may just stay at home and do unproductive activities to cope with his fears of the outside world. Hence, other side-effects such as gaining more weight are possible if he chooses to live his life in fear.
Helplessness
Because the event may have damaged his personal being, he may carry on with life feeling helpless and weak. In effect, his future work can be mediocre as he doesn’t have the drive to produce quality work. Instead, he could be close to just giving up with the tasks at hand. He may feel hopeless and see himself as a useless person. Aside from these feelings, he would also be resigned to try out new activities. He may have difficulty moving on from the past and fail to see his future responsibilities. It’s as if his world has stopped.
Obviously, being unable to work is detrimental to his life outside his personal home. His contributions to work, school, or other environments would be subpar. In effect, this may also affect how others perceive him. If he continues to appear helpless, people may just pity him or be annoyed at him. Thus, even his social appearance may be severely altered because of PTSD.
Depression
The most severe effect of PTSD would involve the surfacing of depression. Because the patient is already saddened by his previous experience, staying in this state can complicate his condition. Eventually, he may develop depression or other psychological disorders. As long as he remains in the state, his emotions would continue to be unstable, thus leading to worse problems.
In severe cases, the PTSD patient would feel worthlessness. He may then begin to think irrationally and consider taking his own life. Suicidal thoughts and other negative ideas would flood his mind. In extreme cases, death would be the end result.
Case Study: John
John was a f
ormer soldier who was deployed in the Iraq War in 2003. Throughout his stay, he was deployed in the battle fields to combat the Iraqi forces that went against the US forces. During his stay, John was exposed to multiple bombings and exchanged fire against the enemies. There, he saw three of his fellow soldiers perish and die. Although John was deployed for only several months, his return to the US proved that the effects of the war remained in him. Every night, John would frantically toss and turn in his bed. His wife, Cindy, was already alarmed as he would breathe rapidly and sweat during his sleep. At times, he would wake up with wild eyes, only to realize that he was inside the comfort of his home.
When John was invited by his friends to watch a movie, he politely agreed. However, the film featured a scene wherein gunshots were exchanged. At the moment the event was showed, John froze in his seat. Sweat rolled down his face as he watched. After a few minutes, he immediately left the cinema while his friends wondered what has gotten into him.
Eventually, John decided to stay at home. Instead of looking for a new job, he just stayed there while his wife worked. Over the weeks, his wife noticed that he has eaten and talked less. John had a dark look on his face as he would stare at the window for hours. When asked if he was alright, John would remain silent. Because of John’s strange behavior, even his children started to worry. Soon enough, his wife took John to the doctor. There, it was confirmed that he was suffering from PTSD.
It is clear that PTSD can affect the individual’s mental stability. However, in failing to have the proper attitude and behavior to live life, his physical activities would be hindered. This would lead to social problems as he is unable to carry out his tasks as a member of the society. Hence, it is clear that severe PTSD can lead to the ruin of an individual’s career and life. As much as possible, PTSD should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible to reduce its effects.
5: Diagnosis
Detecting PTSD early is crucial for it to be quickly resolved. Since the process may take several weeks, it is important to immediately respond to the patient especially if symptoms have been displayed.
Background check
The patient would first undergo a medical examination. This is vital to see if there are other physical conditions that may have affected him. If he has been cleared of such problems, the patient may then be referred to a psychiatrist. Specifically, the psychiatrist would ask the patient about his history to see if there are any signs of PTSD development. Questions include the following:
What have you been feeling over the past few weeks?
Did you experience something negative in the past?
Was the experience life-threatening?
Were you sexually, physically, or emotionally assaulted?
Did you experience a natural disaster?
Do you feel lethargic every day?
Do you feel worried and paranoid whenever you leave your home?
Do you easily get angry?
Do you have trouble sleeping?
Do you have nightmares or flashbacks of negative events?
Do you avoid certain places or people?
Are you easily startled?
Do you use illegal drugs or drink alcohol?
Were you ever treated for other mental problems?
Depending on the answers of the patient, the doctor can also ask additional questions to collect further data. Aside from this, the doctor can also ask the patient’s companions about his behavior.
The Criteria for PTSD
For the physician to declare the patient to be experiencing PTSD, the criteria for the said disease should be met. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, created by the American Psychiatric Association, would help the psychiatrist to diagnose the mental state of his patient. The following are included in the criteria:
The patient was present during the traumatic event.
He is repeatedly exposed to the details of the event.
His close friend or loved one was the victim of the traumatic event.
He experiences nightmares related to his experience.
Flashbacks are rampant and these make him lose focus with what he’s doing.
He is easily distressed by stimuli that are associated to the event.
He avoids situations that remind him of the event.
He has a negative outlook in life.
He may portray self-destructive behavior.
Ideally, all of these are manifested in the patient’s behavior. However, not all patients do exemplify these completely. Hence, another factor to consider involves how often these feelings and observations manifest. The duration of such symptoms can also confirm PTSD.
6: Treatment
While the patient may still feel overwhelmed by the event, he would be guided by the psychiatrist to recover from it. Hence, a series of therapy sessions are integral for the patient to return to his normal lifestyle.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy engages the patient in a healthy conversation with the psychiatrist. Known to be the most popular form of therapy, this is used for adults or children suffering from PTSD. Depending on the severity of the patient’s condition, psychotherapy can last for three or more months.
There are different types of psychotherapy. First, cognitive therapy involves talking to patient to make him realize his situation. Specifically, the psychiatrist wants to expose to the patient what exactly is keeping him stuck to his predicament. Alongside this, the patient should also utilize this period to open up about his emotions. Here, he is encouraged to reveal his inner thoughts and feelings for the psychiatrist to know how to effectively treat his problem. Of course, it can be difficult for the patient to do this. Hence, time would be essential for cognitive therapy. In fact, some psychiatrists would even spend more time building the patient’s trust. This would help in making the patient feel more comfortable. Eventually, he would slowly say more about the experience without feeling threatened.
Once the psychiatrist learns key details about the patient’s situation, he can proceed to exposure therapy. This empowers the patient by exposing him to stimuli that can be associated to the traumatic experience. However, the patient’s exposure would be done in safe environments. This is crucial for the individual to face his fears and let him cope with the stimulus. During this period, the doctor would assist the patient and talk to him as he engages in the stimulus. He would encourage the patient to think objectively and control his strong emotions toward the object.
For best results, the process is done slowly but surely. Loved ones of the patient are also encouraged to be present to serve as moral support. While physically bringing the patient to the stimulus can be challenging but effective, modern therapy has considered using virtual reality for this procedure. Here, the patient can re-enter a setting similar to the previous event through the assistance of a computer that generates the area.
Finally, EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is another popular method to help PTSD patients. The psychiatrist utilizes elements of cognitive therapy by assisting the patient’s eye movements. This is vital as the patient is able to process the terrifying memories and see how he can cope with the thoughts. According to research, concentrating on eye movement can help to calm the patient and reduce his stress levels.
Medication
While the patient is experiencing treatment, he too is encouraged to take medications to help improve the recurring PTSD symptoms. Antidepressants would respond to his anxiety and depression. These also help him improve his sleeping habits and concentration. On the other hand, anti-anxiety medications would reduce his feelings of stress and anxiety. Although these drugs are primarily focused on providing relief to the patient, abuse can happen and may trigger side-effects. Nausea, irritability, and other problems may surface if excessive amounts are consumed. Hence, it is best that the patient’s loved ones assist in his medication to avoid abuse.
Coping with PTSD
While the PTSD patient would
have to endure weeks toward recovery, it is important that the people around him also participate in his recovery. In providing strength the patient, he would be encouraged to fight his condition and return to living a normal life. Hence, it is important to consider the following tips to further hasten to recovery process.
First of all, those around the individual should be patient and understand his condition. As PTSD recovery would take weeks or even months, the people around the patient must contribute to assisting his recovery rather than making it harder. They should understand the difficulty of the patient’s condition and find ways to make this period easier. Staying with the patient, listening to him, or just showing support would go a long way for his recovery.
If the patient still experiences PTSD symptoms, his loved ones can prepare the necessary medications and responses to such events. They can assist the patient by knowing what triggers his panic attacks. Knowing the items, dates, places, or people that can cause such problems should be taken into account. From there, the people concerned would be prepared to calm down the patient.
Furthermore, while the loved ones exert a lot of effort to help the patient, he may sometimes fail to see the purpose of these activities. In effect, he may appear apathetic or irritated. In these cases, the loved ones shouldn’t take these reactions personally. Rather, they should understand that these are effects of PTSD. Hence, they should just continue with their tasks.
Conclusion
Thank you again for downloading this book!
I hope this book was able to help you know more about PTSD.
Although the disorder can be challenging, proper knowledge about it is the key to effectively respond to it. Hence, through one’s efforts and the support of others, he can overcome PTSD and return to his healthy, normal lifestyle.
A Bride Worth Billions Page 58