After experiencing a traumatic event , an accident, a rape , abuse, etc; Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is very common . This type of stress is considered a real disease, which makes the person feel stressed and afraid of reliving the situation again , even seriously affecting their lives and those of the people around them.
What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
PTSD is framed within anxiety disorders , this is caused by a traumatic event experienced by the person, be it a car accident, sexual abuse , physical assault, rape, even a traumatic situation at a psychological level.
The latter are the most difficult to recognize and detect the origin, since they cannot be seen with the naked eye; This can cause them not to be cared for or treated adequately, incapacitating the person and hindering their ability to lead a normalized rhythm of life.
It must be taken into account that a situation is more traumatic, affects health more strongly and is more difficult to overcome, if it arises unexpectedly and unexpectedly, since if the person sees it coming, they can foresee the consequences, prepare psychologically to them and recover more quickly.
What symptoms does a person with PTSD have?
Depending on the person, their age, their way of being, their personality, their management of frustration, the type of trauma experienced, etc .; Post-traumatic stress disorder can cause different symptoms. Some of the most repeated in most cases can be:
– Recurrent memories of the traumatic situation , involuntary, etc; that cause anguish, frustration, stress, overwhelm, etc.
– Having the feeling that the situation is happening again, which we also know as Flashbacks .
– Disorders and changes in sleep habits , such as insomnia , hypersomnia, recurring nightmares of moments of trauma, etc.
– Changes in your mood , feeling that the feeling is over you, outbursts of anger, frustration, etc.
– Psychological discomfort when being in contact with aspects, objects, situations, people, etc; remind you of the traumatic situation.
– Avoid situations , moments, etc; that remind you or make you relive that event.
– Difficulty remembering details , important and relevant aspects, etc; of the traumatic moment lived.
– Loss of self-esteem , negative thoughts about oneself, feeling of not being able, etc.
– Feeling of fear, panic, distrust or terror due to situations that previously went unnoticed.
– Decreased interest in carrying out activities that previously caused pleasure, social isolation, loss of social, work, family relationships, etc.
– Difficulty experiencing positive and pleasant sensations .
– Increased irritability and attacks of anger or rage.
– Impulsive , reckless and dangerous behavior .
– Suicidal thoughts, even self-injurious behaviors .
– Excess of protection , supervision, surveillance, etc.
– Problems when concentrating , withholding information or making decisions for himself.
What problems can PTSD cause?
As with symptoms, depending on the person suffering from it, PTSD can start at different times (within days of experiencing the trauma, months, or even years) and cause different kinds of problems. However, in most cases this disorder usually causes problems such as:
– Loss of attachment : Feeling of loss of attachment with family, friends, partner, etc.
– Depersonalization: The feeling of being a mere observer of your life, your own decisions, your actions, etc.
– Derealization : The feeling of living something unreal, like a dream, as something distorted or distant for the person.
What is the treatment for PTSD?
First of all, if you think that you may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, it is advisable that you go to a specialist to detect its origin, for example: to the family doctor who will refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist, or directly to these.
In this way, if you are really suffering from PTSD, they will be able to choose the appropriate treatment for your situation. The most common are: talk therapy, medication, or a combination of both. All of them destined and directed to:
– Reduce symptoms and reduce their intensity.
– Prevent complications, such as becoming a chronic condition.
– Initiate social and occupational rehabilitation, both for the affected person and for the family, if necessary.
– Encourage the management of negative emotions, stress and learn to properly manage frustration.
It is also very common to resort to catharsis, that is, to make the affected person able to remember and say verbally what happened in the traumatic event, thus achieving an emotional discharge linked to the traumatic situation, with which they will be able to free the person emotionally and psychologically.
With this treatment, the repressed feelings and emotions of said trauma are better assimilated, corrected in the memory of the affected person and serve to reduce the symptoms, reorganizing their memory and their way of assimilating the situation.
