Post Traumatic Stress Disorder : Symptoms and Treatment
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is a psychiatric condition that is triggered by the tragic events that ever experienced. Examples of traumatic events that might trigger these conditions include traffic accidents, natural disasters, crime such as rape or robbery , or experience on the battlefield.
These conditions include the category of anxiety disorder that makes the patient can't forget the traumatic events is experienced. Not all people who experience trauma will develop to PTSD automatically. This mental disorder estimated to grow at 30-35 percent among people who have experienced traumatic events.
PTSD Symptoms
The symptoms of PTSD itself tend to interfere with daily activitites, especially in relationships with other people and work environment. Symptoms that appears on every sufferers may vary. There are experienced immediately after the event and there is also emerging after a few months or even years later.
In general, the symptoms of PTSD can be grouped into four types. Below is an example and explanation :
- The memories that interfere with, for example, always remember the gruesome details of the tragic events or frequent nightmares about the event.
- The tendency to avoid talking or thinking about the traumatic event, shut down, and stay away from the location, people, or events that remind the patient on the incident.
- Change negative thought patterns. People with PTSD tend to have negative feelings toward themselves or others, feel alienated, and feel hopeless in the face of the future.
- Emotional changes, for example, grumpy, gult, or shame extreme, always alert, insomnia, and easily startled and frightened.
Most of the PTSD symptoms that occur in children and adults is similiar. However, there are some specific indications in children who also have to watch out. Indications include often reproduce the tragic events through the game, bedwetting, and very nervous when they had to separate from their parents.
Feeling shaken or hit after the tragic events is a natural thing, but if the feelings are not being reduced or worsened over the past three weeks to one month, immediately consult a doctor or a child.
Causes and Triggers Factors of PTSD
Until now, the cause of PTSD is not known with certainty, but there are some factors suspected to be behind this condition. Trigger factors include :
- Never experienced other trauma, such as a child.
- Other mental illness.
- Long-term trauma.
- Have family members who suffer from PTSD or other mental disorders.
- Having a profession that could potentially cause a person to experience a traumatic event, such as the army.
- Having abnormal stress hormone triggers, eg. Adrenaline levels beyond normal limits.
- Abnormality in brain anatomy.
Diagnosis and Treatment Steps of PTSD
To diagnose PTSD, the doctor will ask the symptoms that ever experienced. Patients will also be required to undergo a psychological evaluation.
Each patient generally will undergo handling steps that vary according to the symptoms, severity, and time of occurence. Appropriate treatment will teach you ways to cope with symptoms and increased confidence.
Patients with PTSD symptoms were mild or no more than one month, will generally be recommended by doctors to wait and monitor the progress of your psychiatric condition for some time. If symptoms are experienced reduced and improved, it will most likely not require special handling.
But it is different for patients with symptoms worse. These patients require further treatment steps, namely the combination of psycotherapy and medication use.
Given psychological therapy include cognitive behavorial therapy (CBT) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing / EMDR. These therapies can be used for pediatric patients and adults.
For a while, drugs are generally recommended as antidepressants, such as mirtazapine or paroxetine. This step can only be undertaken by adult patients or adolescents aged at least 18 years.
These conditions include the category of anxiety disorder that makes the patient can't forget the traumatic events is experienced. Not all people who experience trauma will develop to PTSD automatically. This mental disorder estimated to grow at 30-35 percent among people who have experienced traumatic events.
PTSD Symptoms
The symptoms of PTSD itself tend to interfere with daily activitites, especially in relationships with other people and work environment. Symptoms that appears on every sufferers may vary. There are experienced immediately after the event and there is also emerging after a few months or even years later.
In general, the symptoms of PTSD can be grouped into four types. Below is an example and explanation :
- The memories that interfere with, for example, always remember the gruesome details of the tragic events or frequent nightmares about the event.
- The tendency to avoid talking or thinking about the traumatic event, shut down, and stay away from the location, people, or events that remind the patient on the incident.
- Change negative thought patterns. People with PTSD tend to have negative feelings toward themselves or others, feel alienated, and feel hopeless in the face of the future.
- Emotional changes, for example, grumpy, gult, or shame extreme, always alert, insomnia, and easily startled and frightened.
Most of the PTSD symptoms that occur in children and adults is similiar. However, there are some specific indications in children who also have to watch out. Indications include often reproduce the tragic events through the game, bedwetting, and very nervous when they had to separate from their parents.
Feeling shaken or hit after the tragic events is a natural thing, but if the feelings are not being reduced or worsened over the past three weeks to one month, immediately consult a doctor or a child.
Causes and Triggers Factors of PTSD
Until now, the cause of PTSD is not known with certainty, but there are some factors suspected to be behind this condition. Trigger factors include :
- Never experienced other trauma, such as a child.
- Other mental illness.
- Long-term trauma.
- Have family members who suffer from PTSD or other mental disorders.
- Having a profession that could potentially cause a person to experience a traumatic event, such as the army.
- Having abnormal stress hormone triggers, eg. Adrenaline levels beyond normal limits.
- Abnormality in brain anatomy.
Diagnosis and Treatment Steps of PTSD
To diagnose PTSD, the doctor will ask the symptoms that ever experienced. Patients will also be required to undergo a psychological evaluation.
Each patient generally will undergo handling steps that vary according to the symptoms, severity, and time of occurence. Appropriate treatment will teach you ways to cope with symptoms and increased confidence.
Patients with PTSD symptoms were mild or no more than one month, will generally be recommended by doctors to wait and monitor the progress of your psychiatric condition for some time. If symptoms are experienced reduced and improved, it will most likely not require special handling.
But it is different for patients with symptoms worse. These patients require further treatment steps, namely the combination of psycotherapy and medication use.
Given psychological therapy include cognitive behavorial therapy (CBT) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing / EMDR. These therapies can be used for pediatric patients and adults.
For a while, drugs are generally recommended as antidepressants, such as mirtazapine or paroxetine. This step can only be undertaken by adult patients or adolescents aged at least 18 years.
