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Table of Contents
| What is Post traumatic stress disorder? |
| What are the symptoms of Post traumatic stress disorder? |
| What should you do if you have suicidal thoughts? |
| How is PTSD diagnosed? |
| How is PTSD treated? |
We have all seen it in movies. A person witnessing some shocking incident going through mental trauma. But can this happen in real life? If so, what are the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment associated with it? Don’t worry, in this article we are going to see all that you need to know about Posttraumatic stress disorder.
What is Post traumatic stress disorder?
PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced shocking events such as war, accidents, threatened with death, etc. PTSD has been popularly known as ‘shell shock’ during World War I.
But PTSD not only happens to soldiers who fight the war, but to people of any gender, age, ethnicity or culture. PTSD is a serious psychiatric disorder that needs to be treated at the beginning stage itself.
People who are experiencing Post-traumatic syndrome have disturbing and shocking thoughts all the time. They recollect the incident through nightmares and dreams. They may experience anger, sadness or sometimes they even feel detached from their near ones.
People with PTSD also try to avoid situations or people who remind them of the previous smoking incident. Sometimes they also have a strong reaction towards certain things like high noise.
What are the symptoms of Post traumatic stress disorder?
Symptoms of PTSD may appear irrespective of specific time. Usually, people with Posttraumatic stress disorder may start showing the symptoms within a month. But in some cases, it can start after a year too.
These symptoms can affect their social and personal life too. PTSD is mainly classified into four types. These symptoms can vary from person to person.
- Intrusive memories
Symptoms associated with intrusive memories may include:
- Recurring thoughts of an accidental or shocking event
- Flashbacks of traumatic events in dreams and nightmares
- Severe emotional discomfort
- Physical reactions to something that reminds you about the accident
- Avoidance
Symptoms associated are:
- Avoiding talks about the shocking event
- Not talking to certain people
- Avoiding places and activities that remind about the event
- Arousal symptoms
Symptoms associated includes:
- Frightened for mere incidents
- Always being in a fear of danger
- Self-destructive behaviour
- Lack of sleep
- Trouble in concentrating
- Irritated too fast
- Aggressive behaviour
- Immense shame or guilt
- Negative changes in thinking and mood
The most common symptoms may include:
- Negative thoughts
- Hopeless about things going to happen
- Forgetfulness
- Lack of interest in things you enjoyed once
- Feeling detached from close ones
- Emotionally neutral
PTSD intensities can vary depending upon persons, incidents, and time. It can also occur when you have heard or seen certain similar shocking experiences.
If you have certain thoughts and experiences you should upon up yourself and should talk to a psychiatrist or psychologist. People who feel that their life is not under their control due to certain issues or incidents should also take professional medical help.
What should you do if you have suicidal thoughts?
Sometimes people experiencing Posttraumatic stress disorder can undergo suicidal thoughts. If you or anyone you know are going through such a situation you should:
- Reach out to a close friend or someone whom you are close to
- Make an appointment with your mental health professional
- You can seek help from mental health initiatives like U OK?
How is PTSD diagnosed?
PTSD is not diagnosed until one month after the shock. After a month your doctor will go through your medical history and physical health examination. Even though there are no specific medical tests for diagnosing PTSD, the doctor will analyze you through several test methods.
If no issues have been found, then you may be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist. There you will be diagnosed based on any mental alterations caused by the shocking event that happened.
How is PTSD treated?
The main aim of PTSD treatment is to reduce the shock experienced by the person and to enable the person to live a normal life. PTSD treatment includes psychotherapy, medication, or both.
- Psychotherapy
It enables the person to handle and manage any situation. Psychotherapy involves the following methods:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
This procedure aims to change the way to approach and thoughts that lead to stressful thoughts and emotions
- Prolonged exposure therapy
In this procedure, the person is exposed to situations and factors that cause anxiety.
- Psychodynamic therapy
It helps the person to evaluate personal values
- Family therapy
Family therapy can be very useful as the person with PTSD can also impact the family members.
- Group therapy
Group therapy enables the person to share his experience, thoughts, and ideas with the same type of people who to had traumatic incidents.
- Medications
Your health expert may use a certain type of antidepressant to treat PTSD. Some of the common medicines used to treat PTSD are:
- Celexa
- Zoloft
- Prozac
- Doxepin
- Abilify
Many people around us have been suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues. We must uplift them as they too need to get back to their normal life where they laughed a lot, talked a lot, and were one among us.
If you or anyone you know have been suffering from PTSD or any other mental health-related issues, it is advised to consult a psychiatrist or psychologist as soon as possible.
