Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental trauma or mental health condition triggered by events that frighten, terrify, and desperate, often unusual and unexpected. If these events lead to death or danger of injury to the person or a relative, feelings of fear, horror and helplessness may arise.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and fires, human-induced traumas such as torture, war and rape, accidents, serious and fatal medical conditions and traumatic events such as diseases or unexpected deaths can cause mental trauma in individuals. Most people who experience or are affected by such traumatic events may temporarily have difficulty adjusting to and coping with their circumstances and environment.
Individuals usually get better over time and with good care. But if these strain symptoms worsen, last for months or even years, and interfere with an individual’s daily functioning, they may have post-traumatic stress disorder.
Getting effective treatment as soon as possible after the symptoms and signs of post-traumatic stress disorder appear is of great importance to reduce symptoms and improve function.
What Causes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
People of all ages can have post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress for individuals who experience, see or learn about traumatic events such as natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and fires, human-induced traumas such as torture, war, violence, se xual harassment or rape, accidents, serious and fatal diseases, or unexpected deaths. possible to develop the disorder.
Medical professionals are not certain why some individuals develop PTSD. Like most mental health problems, post-traumatic stress disorder is thought to occur, possibly due to a mix of several different elements.
These elements include the stressful experiences an individual has had throughout his life, the amount and severity of traumas, hereditary mental health risks such as anxiety and depression in the family, temperament, inherited personality traits, and the way the individual’s brain and body regulate chemicals and hormones released in response to stress.
What Factors Increase the Risk of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Certain factors can increase the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. These include experiencing intense or prolonged trauma, experiencing other traumas such as childhood abuse, having a job that increases the risk of exposure to traumatic events, such as law enforcement, first responders, military service, firefighters or providing healthcare services, and other mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. problems, excessive alcohol or drug use, lack of a good support system among family or friends, and a family history of blood relatives with mental health problems, including anxiety or depression.
It has been observed by medical professionals that the most common events leading to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder in individuals are se xual violence, childhood physical abuse, exposure to physical assault, accidents, exposure to war, and gun threats. In addition to these, extortion, robbery, plane crash, kidnapping, diagnosis of life-threatening medical problem, terrorist attacks can result in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.
What Complications Can Occur?
Post-traumatic stress disorder can cause disorders in work, relationships, health, enjoyment of daily activities, in short, in the whole life of the individual, as well as increase the risk of facing other mental health problems. These include major anxiety and depression, alcohol and drug use disorders, suicidal thoughts and actions, and eating disorders.
Prevention
Many individuals, after surviving a traumatic event, cannot stop thinking that the traumatic event happened in the first stage, may show post-traumatic stress disorder-like symptoms such as fear, anxiety, anger, depression, guilt. Almost all of these are common responses by individuals to trauma. However, most trauma survivors do not develop long-term post-traumatic stress disorder.
Getting help and support with this situation in time can prevent normal stress responses from worsening and turning into post-traumatic stress disorder. The help and support needed here may mean turning to family members and friends who will listen to the individual and provide comfort.
It may be necessary to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist for a short-term therapy. Others may find it helpful to seek refuge in communities of their own beliefs. The support to be obtained from others through all these methods can prevent the individual from turning to unhealthy coping methods such as alcohol or drug use.
Symptoms and Types
Although the signs and symptoms of PTSD commonly begin within a month of a traumatic event, in some cases, symptoms may not appear until years after the event. These symptoms can cause significant problems in the individual’s social or work life and personal relationships. It can also interfere with an individual’s ability to lead a normal daily life.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are often divided into several different types: re-experiencing, that is, recollection, avoidance, hyperarousal, that is, negative changes in thinking and mood, and observed changes in physical and emotional responses. Signs and symptoms may differ over time or vary from person to person.
Symptoms of reliving include distressing dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event, severe emotional distress or physical reactions to anything that reminds the individual of the traumatic event, reliving the traumatic event as if it is happening again, or repetitive, undesirable memories of the traumatic event.
Avoidance symptoms and signs include avoiding activities, people, or places that remind the individual of the traumatic event, or trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event.
Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood due to overstimulation include negative thoughts about oneself, other people, the future or the world, memory problems including not remembering important elements of the traumatic event, difficulty maintaining close relationships with other individuals, hopelessness, disconnection from family and friends feelings, lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyed, difficulty experiencing positive emotions, and emotional numbness.
Again, the symptoms of changes in physical and emotional reactions due to overstimulation include being easily frightened or afraid, always alert to danger, self-harming behaviors such as consuming too much alcohol or driving too fast, sleep difficulties, concentration difficulties, irritability, anger. outbursts, aggressive behavior, extreme feelings of guilt or shame.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in children 6 years of age and younger include having frightening dreams that may or may not contain elements of the traumatic event, as well as re-enacting the traumatic event or elements of the traumatic event through play.
The intensity of PTSD signs and symptoms can change over time. When the individual is more stressed in general or encounters items that remind him of what he has been through, he may show more and more intense symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. For example, the sound of a motor may trigger the moment of conflict, or seeing a news about se xual assault in the news may cause the individual to feel under attack again.
Individuals who have disturbing thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event for more than a month should consult a psychologist or psychiatrist if they are particularly severe or if they feel that they are having trouble regaining control of their lives. Starting treatment as soon as possible can help prevent aggravating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
It is important for individuals who have suicidal thoughts to reach a friend or loved one, to make an appointment with a psychologist and to benefit from the suicide helplines. It is important that people who are aware of the existence of individuals in this situation also help them. It is of great importance for the health of the individual, especially for individuals who are thought to be in a position to harm themselves or attempt suicide, to apply to the 911 emergency number or, if it can be done safely, to be taken to the nearest hospital’s emergency department.
Diagnosis
In the process of diagnosing PTSD, the doctor will first perform a physical exam to check for any medical problems that may be causing the individual’s symptoms. In addition, he will make a psychological evaluation in which the event or events that cause the symptoms are also discussed.
Under normal circumstances, the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder requires exposure to a traumatic event. This exposure can be overexposed in a variety of ways. For example, the individual may experience the traumatic event directly, or personally witness the traumatic event that happened to others, learn that someone close to them has encountered or threatened the traumatic event, or be repeatedly exposed to the explicit details of the traumatic event.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can be diagnosed if the problems experienced by the individual persist for more than one month after exposure, cause significant problems and obstacles in the ability to function in social life, or adversely affect the work environment or relationships.
Treatment
Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment aims to help the individual gain a sense of control over their life. The primary treatment method is psychotherapy. It is also possible to benefit from drug therapy to support this.
The primary method used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder is psychotherapy. Various types of psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, can be used to treat both children and adults who show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. There are different types of psychotherapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cognitive therapy is a talk therapy. It helps the individual to recognize stuck thinking patterns, namely cognitive patterns, for example, negative beliefs about himself or the risk of traumatic things happening again.
Cognitive therapy is often used in conjunction with exposure therapy in post-traumatic stress disorder treatment. Exposure therapy helps an individual confidently face situations and memories that they find frightening. In this way, the individual can learn to deal with them effectively. Exposure therapy can be especially helpful for individuals who experience events over and over and are affected by nightmares.
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is an effective and powerful psychotherapy approach used for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. EMDR combines exposure therapy with the help of a series of eye movements that helps the individual process traumatic memories and change how they respond to them.
A specialist therapist can help an individual develop stress management skills that will help them cope better with stressful situations and cope with the stress in their life. All these approaches can help the individual control the persistent fear that occurs after a traumatic event. Individual therapy, group therapy, or a mix of both can help an individual. Group therapy can offer a way to connect with others who have had similar experiences.
Various types of medication used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder can help an individual to improve the signs and symptoms of the disorder. Medications used for this include antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications.
Antidepressants can be effective in helping an individual cope with symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as improving sleep problems and concentration. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs can be used for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder with the advice of a doctor.
Anti-anxiety drugs can be used to relieve severe anxiety and related problems. However, because some anti-anxiety medications have the potential for abuse, they are usually only suitable for use for a short period of time.
In post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, the individual and doctor must work together to find the best medicine for the individual symptoms and condition with the fewest side effects. With the right medication, the individual can observe an improvement in mood and other symptoms in as little as a few weeks. However, any side effects or problems during the drug use should be reported to the doctor immediately. In this way, the appropriate dose and drug can be determined.
Lifestyle Changes and Support for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Individuals whose lives have been affected by stress and other problems caused by a traumatic event should see a doctor or mental health professional. Individuals do not have to try to handle the burden of post-traumatic stress disorder alone. However, there are various steps that an individual can take for himself while continuing his treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
First of all, the treatment plan given by the doctor should be followed. Although it may take some time for an individual to benefit from therapy or medication, treatment is often effective and in most cases, most people recover. The individual should remind himself that this is a process and will take time. Following the treatment plan and communicating regularly with the mental health professional will make progress.
Individuals should not choose drugs according to their own mind. Turning to alcohol or drugs, especially to numb the emotions, is not healthy and not effective in the long run. On the contrary, it can cause bigger problems and prevent real healing by getting in the way of effective treatment methods.
The individual should spend time with supporters, family members, friends or things that are good for them. Just sharing time with loved ones without talking about the situation can provide healing and comfort to the individual. In addition, joining a support group and benefiting from the experiences of people who have experienced similar situations can be comforting for the individual.
Learning about PTSD can enable an individual to understand what they are feeling and then guide them to develop coping strategies that will help you respond effectively.
The individual should take care of himself, get enough rest, follow a healthy diet, exercise and take time for himself to relax. It is important to avoid caffeine, and especially nicotine, which can worsen feelings of anxiety. Individuals who feel anxious can take a brisk walk or take advantage of a hobby to refocus on healing themselves.