What are the Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder  

Know the Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder is the result of extreme mental stress that a person experiences due to a major trauma. Trauma may be caused by certain events, including assault, abuse, war, injury, imprisonment, threats, life-changing events and natural disasters. As a result, certain symptoms of the disorder manifest in a patient.

Post-traumatic stress disorder was only accepted as a psychiatric illness about twenty years ago, but it was a disorder that has been recognized and diagnosed at least a hundred years before that. Over time, it has been called different names. It was a psychologist named Pierre Janet, a contemporary of Sigmund Freud, who was able to describe the group of symptoms or syndrome of post-traumatic stress disorder.

During the First World War, post-traumatic stress disorder was referred to as 'shell shock'. It was called 'combat fatigue' during World War II. After Vietnam, it was referred to as 'Post Vietnam Syndrome'.

What are the general symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder?

While post-traumatic stress disorder has a group of symptoms, there are certain common physical manifestations of the disorder. This includes sweating, paleness, heart palpitation, excitability, agitation, headache, dizziness and fainting.

The group of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder may be classified into three groups: reliving of the event, avoidance and increased arousal. A person who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder may exhibit symptoms of re-experiencing the stressful event either as flashbacks or nightmares. Memories may also be triggered by outside cues or internal thoughts. It is also possible that he might have identical reactions to what he experienced when the actual event occurred.

The second group of symptoms is avoidance. This is where denial of the event is maintained by the person who suffers from the disorder. Avoidance may be in the form of a lack of remembrance of the trauma or certain aspects of the event, detachment, evasion of people, objects or places that remind of the event and a lack of concern for day-to-day normal activities.

Avoidance may also be exhibited through the lack of emotional responsiveness and is easily the most difficult group of symptoms for psychiatrists to treat. In its extreme form, it may even result to dissociation, including Dissociative Identity Disorder. This is also referred to as Multiple Personality Disorder.

Increased arousal may be another way a person exhibits the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. He may show irritability, sudden bursts of anger, hypervigilance, extreme response to surprise or shock, difficulty in concentrating and sleeping.

When two or more people experience trauma, do they have the same symptoms? A group of people who suffer from trauma and experience post-traumatic stress disorder do not necessarily develop the same group of symptoms. In fact, some people do not even develop the disorder itself or if they do, it may appear in a mild form. The appearance of symptoms is also not predictable. Some people may develop it immediately after the traumatic event and some months or years later.

After treatment, some people may also have more difficulty in going back to their regular or normal state while others recover easily. Occasional flare-ups of symptoms may also occur.

What are the treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder? Depending on the symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder may be treated using one or a combination of the following:

Psychotherapy

This type of treatment aims to induce relaxation through meditation, controlled breathing, positive imagery, neurofeedback, and so on.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Unlike some of the techniques used in psychotherapy, CBT actively explores the traumatic event in order to recognize, manage and prevent trigger episodes. It may also include a technique called desensitization, which involves the managed re-introduction or re-living of the traumatic event. This is to help the patient get used to the idea that the event is not as threatening or that his own responses to it can be controlled.

Medication

A patient is treated with anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications that help to calm and stabilize his mood. These include SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, paroxetine and sertraline. If symptoms of manic depression occur, divalproex sodium or lithium may be prescribed. If one of the problems is sleeplessness, medications such as nefazodone and trazodone may also be recommended. To reinforce treatment, medications are often used in combination with other forms of therapy.

Somatic psychotherapy This is a combination of cognitive, motor, sensory and emotional treatments that may include rhythmic stimulation in the form of touch or sound. The purpose of this treatment is to stimulate both sides of the brain and integrate their functions, thereby restoring normalcy in responses to stress.

How long does treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder last?

Generally, people suffering from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder need to be treated for at least 6 months, after which they may be recommended to undergo booster sessions. Patients with acute forms of the disorder can expect continuing medication that may be tapered at 6 to 12 months, depending on the patient's response.

If the response is good, medication may be tapered beginning at one year up to 2 years. If there are residual symptoms in the chronic form of the disorder, treatment may last for about 2 years or even more. Patients can expect some positive results in 3 months from their initial treatment, as long as they do not develop other illnesses or disorders that may have stemmed from their experience of the trauma

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About the Author

Gaetane Ross is a Certified Natural Health Consultant who has spent over 4 years focusing on Nutrition and Health. She also specializes in Alternative Medicine, Spiritual Healing and Healthy Lifestyle. Gaetane's mission is to positively transform the lives of everyone she meets by providing advice on Healthy Living.

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