Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a very specific psychiatric disorder that usually occurs after someone has exerienced or witnessed some life-threatening events such as: %26bull; military combat
%26bull; natural disasters
%26bull; terrorist incidents
%26bull; serious accidents
%26bull; violent personal assaults like rape
%26bull; child abuse
%26bull; sexual molestation
Most of the people who experienced these things can return to normal life after a while, but some people develop a serious stress reaction disorder that, not only will not go away on its own, but may even get worse over time. What are the main characteristics of this disorder? PTSD is marked by clear biological changes as well as psychological symptoms. Not only that, but PTSD frequently occurs with related disorders such as depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other problems of physical and mental health.
Incidence
It is estimated that 7.8 percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD.
Research says that about 3.6 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 to 54 have PTSD during the course of a given year.
About 30 percent of the men and women who have spent time in war zones experience PTSD. An additional 20 to 25 percent have had partial PTSD at some point in their lives. Some 88% of men and 79% of women with PTSD also have another psychiatric disorder. Nearly half of them suffer from major depression, 16% from anxiety disorders, and 28% from social phobia.
Symptoms of PTSD
Symptoms of this disorder can be divided into two groups: the primary symptoms and additional symptoms that may but not necessarily accompany this syndrome.
The primary symptoms of PTSD are:
Intrusion
%26bull; Recurring and disturbing memories of the event,
%26bull; Distressing dreams of the event,
%26bull; Feeling of re-experiencing the event itself, such as illusions, hallucinations,
%26bull; An intense fear during exposure to events that could resemble the past traumatic event
Avoidance
This is a very common mechanism in which, the individual attempts to avoid situations which are associated with the trauma
Hyperarousal
The affected individual has problems with feelings of increased arousal or vigilance that were not present before the trauma:
%26bull; Difficulty with sleep
%26bull; Intense irritability and angry outbursts
%26bull; Difficulty with concentration
%26bull; Hyper-vigilance
%26bull; An over-exaggerated startle response when surprised
%26bull; Signs of increased panic and stress response, such as rapid breathing, higher heart rate, sweating etc.
Flashbacks
The affected person has a sudden, usually vivid, recollection of the events that caused this disorder in first place.
These are usually thought of in connection with combat veterans in war.
Other symptoms that could occur months or even years after the original trauma may include the following:
%26bull; amnesia, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate
%26bull; panic attacks
%26bull; obsession - the experience takes over your life
%26bull; feelings of nervousness and anxiety and fear
%26bull; depression and avoidance behavior
%26bull; excessive shame, embarrassment or guilt
%26bull; emotional numbness or detachment
%26bull; lack of motivation
Children with PTSD may also show the following symptoms:
%26bull; losing interest in activities
%26bull; having physical symptoms such as headaches and stomachaches
%26bull; showing more sudden and extreme emotional reactions
%26bull; having problems falling or staying asleep
%26bull; acting younger than their age
%26bull; showing increased alertness to the environment
Cause of PTSD
When a person is afraid, the body activates the stress response - it releases adrenaline, which is responsible for increasing blood pressure and heart rate and releasing glucose to muscles. Once the danger is gone, the body begins a process of shutting down the stress response, and this process involves the release of another hormone known as cortisol. If body does not generate enough cortisol to shut down the flight or stress reaction, person may continue to feel the stress effects of the adrenaline. That is considered the primary mechanism of PTSD because after a month in this heightened state, with stress hormones elevated, person may develop further physical changes, such as heightened hearing.
Risk factors for developing PTSD
For many years experts couldn%26rsquo;t figure out why some people who experienced traumatic events don%26rsquo;t develop PTSD some do. research has proven that the people who are under greater risk for developing PTSD are:
1. Those who experience greater stress, unpredictability, uncontrollability, sexual victimization, real or perceived responsibility%26hellip;
2. Those with vulnerability factors such as
%26bull; genetics,
%26bull; early age of onset and
%26bull; longer-lasting childhood trauma,
%26bull; lack of functional social support, and
%26bull; concurrent stressful life events.
3. Those with a social environment that produces shame, guilt, or self-hatred
Consequences associated with PTSD?
PTSD is associated with a number of distinctive neurobiological and physiological changes.
Psycho-physiological alterations associated with PTSD include:
%26bull; hyper-arousal of the sympathetic nervous system
%26bull; increased sensitivity of the startle reflex
%26bull; sleep abnormalities
%26bull; abnormal levels of key hormones involved in the body's response to stress
%26bull; enhanced thyroid
It is also proven that PTSD is associated with the increased likelihood of co-occurring psychiatric disorders.
The co-occurring disorders most prevalent for men with PTSD were:
%26bull; alcohol abuse or dependence
%26bull; major depressive episodes
%26bull; conduct disorders
%26bull; drug abuse and dependence
The disorders most frequently comorbid with PTSD among women were:
%26bull; major depressive disorders
%26bull; simple phobias
%26bull; social phobias
%26bull; alcohol abuse/dependence
Headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, immune system problems, dizziness, chest pain, and discomfort in other parts of the body are common in people with PTSD.
PTSD and cancer
As we have already mentioned, this disorder is normally associated with trauma such as violent crimes, rape, and war experience. However, there is a growing number of reports of PTSD among cancer survivors and their relatives. Although the mechanism is still unknown, most studies deal with survivors of breast cancer, and cancer in children and their parents and show prevalence figures of between five and 20. There is yet disagreement on whether there is any connection between these traumas and cancer diagnosis.
Treatment of PTSD
Unfortunately there is no definitive treatment, but some treatments appear to be quite promising, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and exposure therapy. PTSD is treated by a variety of forms of psychotherapy and drug therapy.
%26bull; Exposure therapy
Exposure therapy involves having the patient repeatedly relive the frightening experience under controlled conditions to help him or her work through the trauma.
It is extremely effective. Studies have also shown that medications help ease associated symptoms of depression and anxiety and help with sleep.
%26bull; Medications
The most widely used drug treatments for PTSD are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as Prozac%26reg; and Zoloft%26reg;. the trouble is that, while it works for most patients, it doesn%26rsquo;t work for everyone. Most recent researches on the biological changes associated with PTSD have spurred new research into drugs that target these biological changes, which may lead to better efficacy.
%26bull; Cognitive-behavioral therapy
This kind of therapy is often helpful for trauma survivors. It helps a patient adopt new thoughts and behaviors in place of destructive or negative ones, while safely revisiting aspects of the trauma.
%26bull; Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy involves talking with a trained mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or counselor, to discover what caused an anxiety disorder and how to deal with its symptoms.
%26bull; Hypnosis
Hypnosis is a natural but altered state of consciousness or awareness. Hypnotherapy has long been used to treat war-related post-traumatic conditions. In the last couple of years it has been used also in cases of sexual assault, car accidents and other traumatic events.
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