Podcast link:
https://anchor.fm/boscom/episodes/2-38-Psyche--Soul--84-et443k
Hello, this is Jose Parappully,
Salesian priest and clinical psychologist at Sumedha Centre for Psychospiritual
Wellbeing at Jeolikote, Uttarakhand, with another edition of Psyche & Soul.
In this edition I shall explore Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD: causes, symptoms and treatment..
What
Is PTSD?
Posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental condition that can develop
after a person has experienced or witnessed an intensely traumatic or terrifying
event in which there was serious physical or emotional harm or threat, accompanied
by intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Such events include sexual or
physical assault, the unexpected death of a loved one, an accident, or natural
disaster.
Most
people who experience a traumatic event will have reactions that may include
shock, anger, nervousness, fear, and even guilt. These reactions keep the
person suffering from it from going about their life in a normal expected way.
When a person goes
through something traumatic, his or her brain triggers a “flight-or-fight” which
raises the stress levels in the body. Most people recover on their own after a
while, but some remain in hyper-aroused state and develop posttraumatic stress
disorder.
PTSD
Symptoms
The
Symptoms of PTSD often are grouped into four main categories:
Reliving: This is the most common
symptom of PTSD. People with PTSD repeatedly relive the traumatic ordeal in a
very vivid and distressing way. Anything that reminds them of the event
triggers intense distress and physiological reactions. This includes flashbacks where the person acts or
feels as if the event were recurring in the here-and-now; nightmares about the
event; and repetitive and distressing intrusive images or other sensory
impressions from the event.
Avoidance: The person with PTSD may
avoid people, places, thoughts, or situations that may remind them of the
trauma. They often try hard, sometimes desperately, to push memories of the
event out of their mind but these memories tend to intrude into consciousness
unbidden.
On the other hand, many ruminate excessively about the
event, questioning about why the event happened to them, about how it could
have been prevented, or about how they could take revenge.
Hyperarousal: PTSD sufferers also
experience symptoms of hyperarousal including
hypervigilance for threat, exaggerated startle responses, irritability, and
outbursts of anger or crying, and difficulty concentrating, and sleep problems.
They can be "jumpy" or easily startled. The person may also suffer
physical symptoms, such as increased blood
pressure and heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle
tension, nausea, and diarrhea.
Emotional Numbing:
This includes lack of ability to experience feelings, feeling detached from
other people, giving up previously significant activities, and amnesia for
significant parts of the event. Since it is hard for the person only to numb
only a particular distressing signal, they tend to numb all feelings and show
themselves to be somewhat feelings. Nothing touches them emotionally. They are
characterised by hat is known as flat affect.
Variations
in Risk
Everyone
reacts to traumatic events differently. Each person is unique in their ability
to manage fear, stress and the threat posed by a traumatic event or situation.
For that reason, not everyone who experiences a trauma will develop PTSD. Also,
the type of help and support a person receives from friends, family members,
and professionals following the trauma may impact the development of PTSD or
the severity of symptoms.
A
person is more likely to develop PTSD after a traumatic event if he or she has a
history of other mental health problems, has blood relatives with mental health
problems, or has a history of alcohol or drug abuse.
Symptoms
of PTSD often develop immediately after the traumatic event but in some the
onset of symptoms may be delayed. Women are more likely to develop PTSD than
men. This may be due to the fact that women are more likely to be victims
of domestic violence, abuse, and rape, all of which are very traumatic and
quite frequent in our society.
PTSD is a treatable disorder even when problems
present many years after the traumatic event.
PTSD Treatment
The goal of
PTSD treatment is to reduce the emotional and physical symptoms, to improve
daily functioning, and to help the person better manage the consequences of the
event that triggered the disorder. Treatment for PTSD may involve medication, psychotherapy or both.
Doctors use
certain antidepressant medications to treat PTSD -- to control the
feelings of anxiety and
its associated symptoms. Certain blood
pressure medicines are also sometimes used to control particular symptoms
Psychotherapy
for PTSD involves helping the person learn skills to manage symptoms and
develop ways of coping. Therapy also aims to teach the person and their family
about the disorder, and help the person work through the fears associated with
the traumatic event. A variety of psychotherapy approaches are used to treat
people with PTSD, including:
·
Cognitive behavioral
therapy, which
involves learning to recognize and change thought patterns that lead to
troublesome emotions, feelings, and behavior.
·
Exposure therapy, a type of behavioral therapy that involves having
the person relive the traumatic event, or exposing the person to objects or
situations that cause anxiety. This is done in a well-controlled and safe environment.
Exposure therapy helps the person confront the fear of dealing with the event
or approaching the situation and gradually become more comfortable with events
and situations that are frightening and causing anxiety.
·
Psychodynamic
therapy focuses
on helping the person examine personal values and the emotional conflicts
caused by the traumatic event.
·
Family therapy is useful because
the behaviour of the person with PTSD can have an effect on other family
members.
·
Group therapy helps by providing
the person a trusting environment to share thoughts, fears, and feelings with
other people who have experienced traumatic events.
·
Eye Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective form of psychotherapy that is designed
to alleviate distress associated with traumatic memories and other symptoms of PTSD.
PTSD
Complications
PTSD
can cause problems in every aspect of one’s life, including one’s job,
relationships, health, and everyday activities. It may also make a person more
likely to develop other mental health problems, such as: Depression and anxiety;
drug or alcohol abuse; eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts and actions.
PTSD
Recovery Outlook
Recovery
from PTSD is a gradual and ongoing process. Symptoms of PTSD seldom disappear
completely, but they can be controlled. Treatment can lead to fewer and less
intense symptoms, as well as a greater ability to manage feelings related to
the trauma. Treatment can help people learn to manage it more effectively.
Introspection and Prayer
PTSD
can cause, as we saw above, much distress to those afflicted with the illness
and their dear ones, friends and colleagues.
We could stay for a while with whatever the information provided in this podcast and our own experiences related to the disorder evoke in us, and turn to our compassionate God who has our health and wellbeing at heart, and pray for healing for ourselves and others, as well as for wisdom and guidance to deal with situations that the illness creates. We could alternately just sit silently before God in the awareness of the traumas we carry and allow God to heal and transform us.
Have pleasant
weekend. Be safe. Be healthy. Be blessed.
Thank you for
listening/reading.
Pictures: Courtesy google Images
Jose Parappully SDB, PHD
sumedhacentre@gmail.com
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