Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder General Information

Many individuals develop this disorder (PTSD) due to the death of someone to whom they were very close. Almost 40% of all cases of PTSD have developed their condition due to this cause. Studies have shown that about 30% of all individuals who go through such an event will develop this medical condition. This medical condition (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is able to affect anyone. 10% of all female patients and 5% of all male individuals will develop (or have developed) this medical condition at some point in their life. The first symptoms of this condition may appear at any age, including during the patient’s childhood.

The signs of this medical disorder develop immediately after the trauma or within 90 days from it. However, in some rare cases, the individual does not present any symptoms of PTSD for several years. Other terms that define this clinical condition include: battle fatigue syndrome, shell shock, and so on. The phrase “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” was employed for the very first time after the Vietnam War. It was formalized in 1980, when it was officially included in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. For further information regarding this anxiety condition we suggest you to contact your physician.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

An individual who is suffering from this medical condition (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) usually relieves the disturbing experience though flashbacks and / or nightmares. Such a patient will present sleeping problems, trouble focusing and concentrating. He or she will feel isolated and / or detached from life. The presence of these clinical manifestations can become quite severe and may last for a long period of time. In some cases, they get to impair the patient’s daily life.

Most individuals who have been through a horrifying, traumatic event will experience the most common symptoms and / or signs of this medical disorder. However, in most of these clinical cases the symptoms will disappear in a short period of time, without any therapy. However, in the case of patients who are diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the situation is more complicated, as they ought to start following an adequate therapy for their condition. Early diagnosis is crucial for the effective management of this disorder. The common symptoms of this disease (PTSD) are known to include nightmares, flashbacks, frightening dreams or thoughts, shaking or sweating (especially during sleep), decreased interest in life, refusal to discuss the horrible experience, inability to remember some aspects regarding the trauma, drug dependence, alcohol abuse, divorce, failed relationships, feeling of guilt, outbursts of anger, irritability, and so on. In most cases of diagnosed PTSD, the patient will often experience remissions of their symptoms, followed by their worsening (increase). The most severe cases of this medical condition experience unremitting and severe clinical manifestations. Other symptoms of this medical disorder include: hyper-alertness to possible danger, long term behavioral effects, increased startle-reaction, sleeping problems, employment problems, weak immune system, chronic illness, and so on.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment

The therapy against this medical condition generally begins with a detailed clinical evaluation of the individual. An adequate therapy plan will be developed according to the patient’s individual needs. This medical disorder (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) can be treated years after the individual has experienced the trauma. For this reason, it is never too late to seek professional help for your clinical condition.

Your health care provider may consider that you would be granted great beneficial effects if you would see a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and so on. They will treat you with understanding and sensitivity. They should be able to explain your therapy for PTSD in more detail. The most common therapy options against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are medication and / or psychotherapy. In other clinical cases, the patient will receive a combination of these two medicines. CBT (Cognitive-behavioral therapy) is very common among patients with PTSD, as it enables them to change negative thought processes. Such a treatment involves using mental images of the horrifying trauma, which will help the patient control his or her distress and fear. Another common therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders is EMDR (an abbreviation that stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing). Through this therapy option one has to recall a traumatic event while making several side-to-side eye movements. This is able to reduce distress in most clinical cases, inducing the patient with positive thoughts, emotions and behavior.

Medication therapy is also a reliable treatment against PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders). The most common medical products that are widely employed in the therapy against this anxiety medical condition include drugs that belong to the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) class. One of them is Paroxetine. These drugs are able to treat the individual’s anxiety, depression and his or her sleeping disturbances. However, this medicine should not be prescribed to adolescents below 18 years of age. A therapy with benzodiazepines can also prove effective against irritability, insomnia and / or anxiety. However, they are rarely employed in the therapy against this medical condition as they easily lead to dependence. The therapy against this medical condition should not be prescribed to the patient if he or she presents only mild symptoms of this disease. After a month of watchful waiting, the patient’s personal doctor will be able to tell whether he or she is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and whether they require following a treatment trial for their condition. The medicine therapy option should not be prescribed as a routine first therapy option. However, this is a viable treatment for adult patients who do not want to be part of a psychological therapy program.