Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is an acquired mental condition that is manifested following a psychologically distressing event outside the range of usual human experience. This disorder presumes that the person experienced a traumatic event or events involving actual or threatened death or injury to themselves or others, and where they felt fear, helplessness, or horror. Symptoms of PTSD may be delayed, or may become evident at any time following the original trauma(s), including years after the fact.

The symptoms of PTSD include intrusions, such as flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance, where the person tries to reduce exposure to people or things that might bring on their intrusive symptoms, and hyperarousal, that is, signs of increased arousal, such as hypervigilance or jumpiness.

In practical terms, symptoms can include any combination of the following:

• Recurring nightmares about the event(s), including possibly intrusive memory flashbacks which may come in the form of strong emotion, audio memory, or visual memory, or a combination of these.
• Difficulty sleeping or changes in appetite.
• Feelings of anxiety and fear, especially when exposed to events or situations reminiscent of the trauma(s).
• Jumpiness, edginess, exaggerated startle reflex, or becoming overly alert.
• Depression, sadness, and lack of energy. Spontaneous crying. Sense of despair and hopelessness.
• Memory problems, including difficulty in remembering aspects of the trauma(s).
• Feeling "scattered" or "off center", and unable to focus on work or daily activities. Difficulty making decisions or carrying out plans.
• Irritability, aggitation, or feelings of anger and resentment.
• Feeling emotionally "numb," withdrawn, disconnected, or different from others.
• Oveprotectiveness of loved ones, or fear for the safety of loved ones.
• Not being able to face certain aspects of the trauma, and avoiding activities, places, or even people that remind you of the event(s).

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is officially classed as an anxiety disorder, but, according to David Baldwin, it has been argued that PTSD is more closely akin to dissociation. As a personal observation, the flashbacks I have experienced have a very definite dissociative quality to them; I am actually partly re-experiencing the trauma, and not just remembering it, giving the flashback an otherworldly, out of control "feel" to it.

It's also a misnomer that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is something that only soldiers or survivors of sudden servere misfortune get. It is true that combat veterans are known to develop PTSD, but victims and survivors of any and all kinds of trauma can and do develop PTSD, including those who have experienced natural disasters, assault, plane crashes, car accidents, and many other sorts of traumatic events. Child abuse survivors are almost certain to live with symptoms of this disorder, as do survivors of domestic violence and political upheavals such as civil war or revolutions. PTSD is associated with trauma where the victim felt helpless, overwhelmingly afraid, and experienced the threat of death or injury to themselves or others, as already mentioned. It is in no way limited to soldiers and combat veterans. Unfortunately, many people suffering from this disorder go undiagnosed for a long time (or possibly forever) because they lack a specific "traumatic event" and therefore doctors and other health care professionals miss the symptoms and fail to diagnose the condition.

Sometimes, PTSD symptoms don't show up in any significant way for years after the original trauma(s). It's not known how or why this happens, but it's fairly well-documented in psychological research on the subject of trauma. I've also heard of "delayed" PTSD being given as a defense in court (presumably on a "temporary insanity" or "reduced capacity" plea), but I don't know how effective it was as a defense (I know a lot about psych issues that I've researched, but I know very little about legal precedent and other matters of law; if anyone has specifics, I'd be interested in hearing about it).

Treatment of PTSD tends to focus on anxiety reduction and stress coping techniques. Self-hypnosis can be helpful, as can learned relaxation exercises. In many cases, cognitive psychotherapy is helpful, as the trauma survivor brings the trauma out in a therapy setting, discusses it and how they dealt with it, and learns new ways to react to the traumatic memories. Drug therapy can be helpful if there are notable depressive symptoms, panic attacks, or debilitating stress symptoms.

On a personal note, I suffered from just about all of the symptoms listed above, although the condition went undiagnosed for a very long time. My symptoms were sometimes less intrusive and sometimes very noticible, and I experienced them for as long as I can remember. I had nightmares regularly from childhood, was known for being excessively jumpy and easily startled, and I was depressed, irritable, moody, and often angry, alternating with being weepy and feeling hopeless and desperate.

When in the worst and most difficult part of my recovery, when the memories were returning like a hail storm, demanding to be dealt with, I was extremely unbalanced, extremely moody, fearful to the point of debilitating panic attacks, and I most certainly isolated myself and practiced various avoidance techniques in a vain attempt to keep from having any more flashbacks or nightmares "triggered". To put it very mildly, I was a nervous wreck.

These days I'm much calmer. I cope pretty effectively. I still have my days when I'm moody and weepy, to be sure, but I've healed enough that I can usually deal with life in a generally healthy way. I was treated with medication (for the mood swings; once the moods were stable and external circumstances less stressful, I was taken off the medication), with coginitive therapy, and by learning effective stress management and coping skills. The point is, I had an extreme case of PTSD, with every symptom known, and yet, with time and the right kind of help and support, I have healed and lead a productive, responsible, often enjoyable life.... Others with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can do the same thing. It is possible to heal, and the prognosis for PTSD is excellent.

On the other hand, left untreated, PTSD has a high link with alcoholism, drug addiction, poor job performance, and any number of other self-destructive and unhealthy behaviors. It can wreak havoc with relationships, with work, with pursuit of leisure, with just about every aspect of a person's life and mental health. If you have symptoms such as those listed, if what you read sort of rings a bell, or if you see someone you love in this description, please get help. You don't have to be hypervigilant and moody and ready to jump out of your own skin. You don't have to be irritable all the time, or depressed, or suffer from nightmares and flashbacks. There is effective help available. Don't suffer needlessly; there is hope.

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