Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Reliving Trauma
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an
anxiety disorder, can be an extremely debilitating condition that can occur
after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm
occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that can trigger PTSD include
violent personal assaults such as rape or mugging, natural or human-caused
disasters, accidents, or military combat.
Military troops who served in Vietnam and
the Gulf Wars; rescue workers involved in the aftermath of disasters; survivors
of accidents, rape, physical and sexual abuse, and other crimes; immigrants
fleeing violence in their countries; survivors of the 1994 California
earthquake, the 1997 South Dakota floods, and hurricanes Hugo and Andrew; and
people who witness traumatic events are among those who develop PTSD. Families
of victims can also develop the disorder.
Fortunately, effective treatments have been
developed to help people with PTSD.
How Common Is PTSD?
About 3.6 percent of
What are the Symptoms of PTSD?
Many people with PTSD repeatedly
re-experience the ordeal in the form of flashback episodes, memories,
nightmares, or frightening thoughts, especially when they are exposed to events
or objects reminiscent of the trauma. Anniversaries of the event can also
trigger symptoms. People with PTSD also experience emotional numbness and sleep
disturbances, depression, anxiety, and irritability or outbursts of anger.
Feelings of intense guilt are also common. Most people with PTSD try to avoid
any reminders or thoughts of the ordeal. PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms last
more than 1 month.
What Treatments Are Available for PTSD?
Research has demonstrated the effectiveness
of cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and exposure therapy, in which
the patient repeatedly relives the frightening experience under controlled
conditions to help him or her work through the trauma. Studies have also shown
that medications help ease associated symptoms of depression and anxiety and
help promote sleep.
Some studies show that debriefing people
very soon after a catastrophic event may reduce some of the symptoms of PTSD. A
study of 12,000 schoolchildren who lived through a hurricane in
Do Other Illnesses Tend to Accompany PTSD?
Co-occurring depression, alcohol or other
substance abuse, or another anxiety disorder are not
uncommon. The likelihood of treatment success is increased when these other
conditions are appropriately diagnosed and treated as well.
Headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, immune
system problems, dizziness, chest pain, or discomfort in other parts of the
body are common. Often, doctors treat the symptoms without being aware that
they stem from PTSD.
Who Is Most Likely to Develop PTSD?
People who have been abused as children or
who have had other previous traumatic experiences are more likely to develop
the disorder. Research is continuing to pinpoint other
factors that may lead to PTSD.
It used to be believed that people who tend
to be emotionally numb after a trauma were showing a healthy response, but now
some researchers suspect that people who experience this emotional distancing
may be more prone to PTSD.
Recent Research Findings
Studies in animals and humans have focused
on pinpointing the specific brain areas and circuits involved in anxiety and
fear, which underlie anxiety disorders such as PTSD. Fear, an emotion that
evolved to deal with danger, causes an automatic, rapid protective response
that occurs without the need for conscious thought. It has been found that the
body’s fear response is coordinated by a small structure deep inside the brain,
called the amygdala.
The amygdala, although relatively small, is
a very complicated structure, and recent research suggests that different
anxiety disorders may be associated with abnormal activation of the amygdala.
One aim of research is to use such basic knowledge to develop new therapies.
People with PTSD tend to have abnormal
levels of key hormones involved in response to stress. Some studies have shown
that cortisol levels are lower than normal and epinephrine and norepinephrine
are higher than normal.
When people are in danger, they produce
high levels of natural opiates, which can temporarily mask pain. Scientists
have found that people with PTSD continue to produce those higher levels even
after the danger has passed; this may lead to the blunted emotions associated
with the condition.
Research to understand the neurotransmitter
system involved in memories of emotionally charged events may lead to discovery
of drugs that, if given early, could block the development of PTSD symptoms.
For more information about Mental Illnesses -
Contact:
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NAMI of Greater
Phone: 312-563-0445