Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops in response to experiencing or witnessing an extremely stressful event involving the threat of death or extreme bodily harm, such as a sexual assault, physical violence, and military combat. It can occur after a car crash, fire, earthquake, or other natural disasters; or any sudden, disruptive event.

DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only and not to be used for self-diagnosis. If you or a loved one can relate to a number of features listed below, then please do use our therapist directory to find a psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist that is right for you to receive a professional diagnosis.

What are the primary symptoms/signs of the condition?

• Those with PTSD suffer from classic anxiety symptoms, such as insomnia and worry. They are constantly vigilant and alert to possible dangers. 
• Typically, they have an exaggerated shock response. Unexpected sound or movement can provoke a strong, violent reaction, as if the traumatic event was happening again.
• That original traumatic event is recalled spontaneously, in flashbacks of memory so intense that the situation truly seems to be recurring. The same panic, dread, and terror originally evoked are usually present
• Anxiety is not the only form of distress sufferers experience: Disruptive mood is common, and people often feel the guilt and shame typical of depression, or apathy and detachment from others. They may also regard others with suspicion and display hostility. Sufferers may find it difficult to trust anyone.
• To avoid reminders of the trauma, which tend to occur randomly, many with PTSD withdraw from the normal activities of life altogether. Some seek relief by consuming alcohol or other drugs.

Please Note: This information is for educational purposes only and not to be used for self-diagnosis. If you or a loved one can relate to a number of features listed below, then please do use our therapist directory to find a psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist that is right for you to receive a professional diagnosis.

What factors can be contributing causes? 

• PTSD has probably existed throughout human history. It was first thought only to affect soldiers; during World War I, it was known as “shell shock.”
• In PTSD, the stress circuitry in the brain starts functioning unusually, disrupting communication between several brain centers.
• There is evidence that a core problem lies in the connections between individual nerve cells, or synapses; there is a deficit in connectivity, limiting communication between nerve cells. As a result, individuals with PTSD lose psychological flexibility: They stay stuck in an over-the-top response pattern and their memories resist the modification that normally occurs over time.
• Research shows that some people are at higher risk than others for PTSD. Most vulnerable are persons who have a history of trauma exposure or mental difficulties. Having little social support or recurrent ongoing life stress are also risk factors. Physical impairment and job loss add to the risk.

What is the recommended treatment?

• Treatment for PTSD usually centers around talk therapy, but new forms of treatment are being developed that combine talk therapy and medication in new and promising ways. Studies suggest that it may even be possible to prevent PTSD from occurring, especially in high-risk situations.
• Psychotherapy, particularly exposure therapy and cognitive reappraisal therapy, has proved to be one of the most reliable treatments for PTSD. The goal is to restore cognitive flexibility (the mental ability to switch between thinking about two different concepts and to think about multiple concepts simultaneously) so that sufferers can talk about their bad experiences and control their emotional responses.
• The use of drugs that boost the power of psychotherapy by directly increasing nerve-cell connections is currently under clinical investigation. Among those drugs is the anaesthetic ketamine, sometimes known as the club drug Special K; it is already approved for use in treating severe depression. When given (by injection) together with a specific program of psychotherapy, it has been shown to significantly speed recovery from PTSD, accomplishing in days what might otherwise take months.
• Another promising path is psychedelic-assisted therapy with MDMA, also known as Ecstasy or Molly. When given to PTSD patients just before a therapy session, researchers find, it dramatically speeds up the therapeutic process. It allows even those with chronic PTSD to talk about deeply disturbing events and regain control of their reactivity.

• A general practitioner (GP) or psychologist can usually diagnose the condition by asking questions about a person’s medical history and symptoms.
• The GP/psychologist will also inquire about a patient’s physical health to ensure that the exaggerated shock response is not caused as a result of underlying medical conditions, or by factors such as drug or alcohol use.
• The GP/psychologist will check the symptoms that the patient presents with against the standard criteria for the condition before making a diagnosis.

• In the United States, about 3.5 % of adults may have the disorder. About half recover within three months, but for many others, the condition becomes chronic.
• Some studies estimate that as much as half of the population will experience a traumatic event at some point in their lives. Of those, only a percentage will develop post-traumatic stress disorder- among veterans of combat, rates of the disorder range from 10 to 30 %.

If you are experiencing any of these signs, here are some activities you can do at home until you are able to consult a professional.

• • Exercise
  • Engage in creative outlets such as writing, painting, or music
  • Keep a gratitude journal
  • Talk to a family member or friend about how you are feeling
  • Practice Mindfulness
  • Practice Yoga
  • Engage in a well-balanced diet.
  • Maintain a good sleep schedule 
  • Recognise what you can and can’t handle