POST- TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

“PTSD is a whole-body tragedy, an integral human event of enormous

proportions with massive repercussions.” - Susan Pease Banitt

By: Dominika Hernik

WHAT IS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?

Post-traumatic Stress is an anxiety disorder that can develop after someone

witnesses trauma. It can happen to anyone at any point of their life

Also known as PTSD

Traumatic events that can lead to PTSD are:

- Car/plane crash - Death of a loved one -kidnapping

- Threats, abuse - natural disasters and war - assault

The diagnosis may be given when symptoms such as anxiety, reoccurring

flashbacks, nightmares and anger occur weeks or even months after the

event has taken place

CAUSES The most common cause of PTSD in men

are associated with war veterans In men, PTSD affects them in a way that

many people don’t understand. During war, being apart of it or witnessing

the brutal and violent acts of battle can be a factor in the development of PTSD

There are many PTSD vets who have feelings of aggression towards others, and may suffer feelings of guilt and may feel afraid or feel that they have no control over what is happening

During this type of event, the Veteran believes his/her life or others are in danger.

CAUSES The most common cause of PTSD are

women who have experienced some form of abuse; whether it is physical, mental or sexual

Researchers began to study the effects of sexual assault and found that women's reactions were similar to male veterans

Women tend to experience different traumas than men. Both men and women go through the same symptoms of PTSD although some of the symptoms are more common in women than men

Women might get PTSD more than men because they are more likely to experience sexual assault and may be more likely to blame themselves for trauma experiences than men.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Upsetting memories of the event

Nightmares, flashbacks as if you’re reliving the trauma

Feelings of detachment from others ex. friends, family

Depression, anxiety, sadness, anger, feeling scared

Physical aches and pains

Suicidal thoughts

Post-traumatic Stress has a number of symptoms that can make the person realize they need help. These symptoms include:

SYMPTOMS

PTSD symptoms usually start soon after the traumatic event, but they may not occur until

months or years later. If the symptoms last longer than 4 weeks and cause great pain, or

interfere with work or home life, the individual probably has Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

1. Reliving the event:

- may feel the same fear and horror as when the event took place.

- He/she may have nightmares or flashbacks

- sometimes there are triggers- light or sounds that make the person remember the

event

Ex. Seeing a car accident, which can remind a crash survivor of his or her own accident

Ex. Seeing a news report of a sexual assault, which may bring back memories of assault

for a woman who was raped

SYMPTOMS CONT’D

2. Avoiding situations about the event:

- the individual may try to avoid situations or people that trigger memories of the traumatic

experience

- may even avoid talking or detaching themselves from friends and family

Ex: Some people keep busy doing things or avoid seeking help. This keeps them from having

to think or talk about it

Ex: A person who was in an earthquake may avoid watching television shows or movies

where there are earthquakes

3. Feeling numb:

- The person may have a hard time expressing feelings to others

- The person may not have the same interests or be into the same activities

- Feelings of depression overwhelm them and want to be alone

Three types of support systems that can

help PTSD patients are: family members,

therapists and support groups.

A support system is essential to the

person to get back on track and to get

better

Family is the number one source

Family therapy can show the person that

they are loved and not alone and everyone

involved can communicate better and

work together as a family to deal with the

pain that the person is going through

SUPPORT SYSTEM: FAMILY

SUPPORT SYSTEM: THERAPY

Therapists and doctors are another source of treatment. They are specialized to treat

people

with disorders to get them to talk about their thoughts and feelings

In therapy, the patients can learn how to cope with the

situation and build relationships with others

Therapists make their patients under go certain therapies called: Cognitive therapy (CT),

Exposure therapy (ET) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Cognitive therapy helps patients understand and change how they think about the trauma

and its aftermath. The goal is to understand how certain thoughts about the trauma cause

stress and make the symptoms worse.

The Exposure therapy goal is to have less fear about memories. People will learn that they

don’t have to be afraid of memories.

EMDR is another type of therapy for Post traumatic Stress. While thinking of or talking

about memories, the person is focused on the therapist moving his/her hand or sound

gestures and the person follows the movement with their eyes.

SUPPORT SYSTEM: SUPPORT GROUPS

Support groups are another form of PTSD treatment where individuals can talk

to people who have experienced the same type of trauma

Sharing the story with others may help them feel more comfortable talking

about their trauma. This can help them cope with their symptoms, memories, and

other parts of their life

Group therapy helps build relationships with others

who understand what they have been through. They learn to

deal with emotions such as shame, guilt, anger, rage, and fear.

Sharing with the group also can help build self-confidence

and trust. They will learn to focus on present life, rather than

feeling overwhelmed by the past

There is no clear drug treatment

Medication can be used to reduce

PTSD symptoms

Anti-depressants and

Antipsychotics are the main drug

categories that are commonly used

for patients who are experiencing

mood issues, aggression, sleep

disturbances, anxiety and

depression

TREATMENT: MEDICATION

According to the military PTSD can

affect anyone in the world, not just

soldiers

2.2% or 7.7 million people are affected

that aren’t veterans

11-20% of the population are veterans

from Iraq and Afghanistan who

experience PTSD

55-70% of the population will

experience a traumatic event in their

lifetime

PTSD BY THE NUMBERS

WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS TOPIC?

Car accidents, deaths, natural disasters will never

stop and people will keep getting diagnosed with

PTSD. I wanted to find out how soldiers deal coming

back from war. The things they see and experience is

rough and its important to recognize that.

It was interesting while researching about how

people seek treatment in different ways