Symptoms Of PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder, also called PTSD, is a mental disorder that some people experience after being exposed to a traumatic event – this can include natural disasters, wars, accidents, attacks, kidnappings, abuse, etc. In this article, we will discuss the symptoms of PTSD.
Almost everyone develops a kind of reaction after experiencing a traumatic situation. The person is much more alert in the weeks after the event and also shows fear and anxiety. It is an acute reaction to high levels of stress. Fortunately, most people recover naturally after processing the trauma experienced. However, some people do not handle the situation properly and continue to be anxious even after they become safe.
What are the symptoms of PTSD?
Why do some people experience the symptoms of PTSD and others do not?
- First of all, being a woman. PTSD affects twice as many women as men.
- Second, a history of mental disorders or drug use.
- PTSD also occurs after one or more traumatic experiences during childhood.
- Assisting in someone’s injury or death.
- A panic attack during or shortly after the event.
- Loss of a loved one, physical pain, injury, loss of job or home as a result of the incident.
- Living near the area where the traumatic event took place.
- Lack of emotional support.
- Finally, the feeling of helplessness or extreme fear.
Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder
Here is a basic outline of some of the most common aspects of this type of treatment:
- Cognitive restructuring: A person learns to identify irrational beliefs about what happened and replace them with more accurate ones.
- Relaxation training: These techniques are essential for a person to better manage their anxiety. Thus, she can learn to practice deep breathing, Jacobson progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, Tai Chi and visualization, among others.
- Exposure therapy: When the patient regains some control over their anxiety, it may be time to expose themselves to some of the stimuli responsible for the trauma.
- Cognitive processing therapy: This treatment integrates parts of cognitive therapy with information processing theory.
In essence, the method involves causing a series of eye movements and auditory stimuli. What is wonderful about this is that it helps reduce the effects of trauma through better processing of the experience. The method also helps to replace negative thoughts and feelings with more pleasant ones.
