Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) Intro
What Causes It?
What Are the Signs?
How is PTSD Treated?
Where to Go for More Info
Difficult situations are part of
life. We all must cope with tough circumstances, such as bereavement or
conflict (such as domestic abuse) in our personal and professional
relationships, and learn to move on. But sometimes people experience an
event which is so unexpected and so shattering that it continues to have
a serious effect on them, long after any physical danger involved has
passed. Individuals with this kind of experience may suffer flashbacks
and nightmares, in which they re-live the situation that caused them
intense fear and horror. They may become emotionally numb. When this
condition persists for over a month, it is diagnosed as
post-traumatic stress disorder.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of several
conditions known as an anxiety disorder. This kind of medical disorder
affects approximately 1 in 10 people. They are among the most common of
mental health problems. Children and adults can develop PTSD. The
disorder can become so severe that that the individual finds it
difficult to lead a normal life. Fortunately, treatments exist to help
people with PTSD bring their lives back into balance.
What Causes It?
PTSD is caused by a psychologically traumatic event
involving actual or threatened death or serious injury to oneself or
others. Such triggering events are called 'stressors'; they may be
experienced alone or while in a large group.
Violent personal assault, such as rape or mugging, domestic abuse, car
or plane accidents, military combat, industrial accidents and natural
disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, are stressors which have
caused people to suffer from PTSD. In some cases, seeing another person
harmed or killed, or learning that a close friend or family member is in
serious danger has caused the disorder.
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What Are the signs?
The symptoms of PTSD usually begin within 3 months
of the traumatic event. However, sometimes they surface many years
later. The duration of PTSD, and the strength of the symptoms, vary. For
some people, recovery may be achieved in 6 months; for others, it may
take much longer.
There are three categories of symptoms. The first involves
re-experiencing the event. This is the main characteristic of PTSD and
it can happen in different ways. Most commonly the person has powerful,
recurrent memories of the event, or recur-rent nightmares or flashbacks
in which they re-live their distressing experience. The anniversary of
the triggering event, or situations which remind them of it, can also
cause extreme discomfort. Avoidance and emotional numbing are the second
category of symptoms. The first occurs when people with PTSD avoid
encountering scenarios which may remind them of the trauma. Emotional
numbing generally begins very soon after the event. A person with PTSD
may withdraw from friends and family, they may lose interest in
activities they previously enjoyed and have difficulty feeling emotions,
especially those associated with intimacy. Feelings of extreme guilt are
also common.
In rare cases, a person may enter dissociative states, lasting anywhere
from a few minutes to several days, during which they believe they are
re-living the episode, and behave as if it is happening all over again.
The third category of symptoms involves changes in sleeping patterns and
increased alertness. Insomnia is common and some people with PTSD have
difficulty concentrating and finishing tasks. Increased aggression can
also result.
What are the signs?
The symptoms of PTSD usually begin within 3 months of the traumatic
event. However, sometimes they surface many years later. The duration of
PTSD, and the strength of the symptoms, vary. For some people, recovery
may be achieved in 6 months; for others, it may take much longer.
There are three categories of symptoms. The first involves
re-experiencing the event. This is the main characteristic of PTSD and
it can happen in different ways. Most commonly the person has powerful,
recurrent memories of the event, or recur-rent nightmares or flashbacks
in which they re-live their distressing experience. The anniversary of
the triggering event, or situations which remind them of it, can also
cause extreme discomfort. Avoidance and emotional numbing are the second
category of symptoms. The first occurs when people with PTSD avoid
encountering scenarios which may remind them of the trauma. Emotional
numbing generally begins very soon after the event. A person with PTSD
may withdraw from friends and family, they may lose interest in
activities they previously enjoyed and have difficulty feeling emotions,
especially those associated with intimacy. Feelings of extreme guilt are
also common.
In rare cases, a person may enter dissociative states, lasting anywhere
from a few minutes to several days, during which they believe they are
re-living the episode, and behave as if it is happening all over again.
The third category of symptoms involves changes in sleeping patterns and
increased alertness. Insomnia is common and some people with PTSD have
difficulty concentrating and finishing tasks. Increased aggression can
also result.
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Other illnesses may accompany PTSD
People with PTSD may develop a dependence on drugs or alcohol. They may
become depressed. It is not uncommon for another anxiety disorder to be
present at the same time as PTSD. As well, dizziness, chest pain,
gastrointestinal complaints and immune system problems may be linked to
PTSD. These are often treated as self-contained illnesses; the link with
PTSD will be revealed only if a patient volunteers information about a
traumatic event, or if a doctor investigates a possible link with
psychological trauma.
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How is PTSD treated?
Medication can help with the depression and
anxiety often felt by people with PTSD, and assist them in
re-establishing regular sleep patterns.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy and group therapy are generally felt to be
more promising treatments for PTSD. They're often performed by
therapists experienced in a particular type of trauma, such as rape
counsellors. Exposure therapy, in which the patient re-lives the
experience under controlled conditions in order to work through the
trauma, can also be beneficial.
Research into the causes of PTSD and its treatment is ongoing.
Determining which treatments work best for which types of trauma is
currently under study.
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Where to Go for More Info
For
further information about post-traumatic stress disorder, contact a
community organization like the Canadian Mental Health Association to
find out about support and resources available in your community.
Durham Region
Branch of CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association)
60 Bond Street West
Oshawa, ON L1G 1A5
Phone: 905 - 436 8760
http://www.cmhadurham.org
You can also see your family doctor and ask for a referral to professionals in your area.
Tel: (905) 728-4968
email: info@vpcc.ca