Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome
Post-traumatic stress syndrome, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that develops after a person experiences or witnesses a horrifying or traumatic event. Usually, grave physical harm either occurred or was threatened during the event. Typical causes of post-traumatic stress syndrome are:
- Accidents
- Disasters
- Military combat
- Violent personal assaults.
Usually, the brain’s coping mechanisms help people deal with and move past these ordeals. But in people with PTSD, the traumatic event continues to haunt the person for years. In some cases, PTSD is so severe that it interferes with daily life. Untreated PTSD can lead to more severe problems, such as panic disorder, depression, substance abuse and suicide.
PTSD Symptoms
People with post-traumatic stress syndrome experience persistent frightening thoughts and memories of the traumatic event. Often, they feel emotionally cut off from people. Common PTSD symptoms fall into three categories.
First, the person experiences intrusive memories. These typically involve vivid flashbacks of a traumatic event or unsettling dreams about the ordeal.
Second, as a coping mechanism, the person can develop symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbness. These symptoms include:
- Avoidance of once-enjoyed activities
- Concentration problems
- Difficulty maintaining relationships
- Feelings of being emotionally cut off from loved ones
- Hopelessness
- Memory problems.
A person with PTSD may also startle easily and experience intense emotions, such as irritability and excessive guilt or shame. He may also experience hallucinations, engage in self-destructive behavior and have trouble sleeping.
PTSD Statistics
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2010), approximately 7.7 million American adults (or about 3.5 percent) experience PTSD every year. PTSD statistics indicate the condition is especially prevalent after a war. For example, roughly 19 percent of Vietnam War veterans experienced PTSD at some point after returning home.
PTSD Treatment
PTSD treatment usually consists of medication, psychotherapy or a combination of the two. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs are often prescribed to relieve the depression and anxiety associated with PTSD. An anti-hypertension drug called prazosin can reduce nightmares by blocking the brain’s response to norepinephrine, an adrenaline-like neurotransmitter.
In addition to medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure therapy can help patients work through their traumas. Cognitive-behavioral therapy allows people to identify unhealthy thought patterns and change them. Exposure therapy gives people the opportunity to safely confront their fears and learn to deal with them.
Everyone with post-traumatic stress syndrome has different needs, so it’s important that people with PTSD work closely with their doctors or psychologists to find the treatment that’s right for them.
Resources
Dryden-Edwards, R. (2009). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Retrieved May 11, 2010, from www.medicinenet.com/posttraumatic_stress_disorder/article.htm.
Mayo Clinic. (2009). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Retrieved May 11, 2010, from www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/DS00246.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2010). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Retrieved May 11, 2010, from www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2010). The numbers count: Mental disorders in America. Retrieved May 14, 2010 from www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml – PTSD.