Question

Define post traumatic stress disorder. What are the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD? Explain common symptoms, causes of the disorder, and treatment options.

Answer 1

Definition of post-traumatic stress disorder

As the name suggests, it is ‘post-traumatic’ stress or the stress that occurs after facing a traumatic event. Thus, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be defined as a serious mental health condition developed after witnessing a life-threatening event offering shock, terror or trauma.

Diagnostic criteria of PTSD

• Common symptoms: While PTSD may display its symptoms after a short time of the actual incident, one may not display the symptoms for years, making the diagnosis difficult. However, the hidden trauma may affect a person’s relational and social functioning or workplace behavior in many ways. Although some general stress or anxiety would not identify as PTSD, following are some common symptoms that may indicate the presence of PTSD:
  • Intense fear and getting startled
  • Helplessness and negative thoughts
  • Reliving the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares
  • Hallucinations causing fear
  • Distress on event recall or memory issue with recall
  • Avoidance of places/people/conditions/thoughts associated with the event
  • Extreme detachment from even the loved ones, as well as isolation and avoidance of regular activities
  • Involving is self-destructive acts like drugging, excessive drinking, or suicide attempt
  • Staying always on guard
  • Displaying the trauma through drawings or other creative work (usually seen in children)
  • Excessive emotional disturbance in terms of displaying feelings, sharing thoughts with others, anger or irritability against others, disturbed focus and concentration, etc.
  • Extreme sleep problems or problem falling asleep
  • Language problem or issues communicating
  • Physical issues like rapid breath or heartbeat, frequent diarrhea or high BP, muscular problems/tension, etc.
• Causes: Whether it is a young child or old individual, anybody can develop PTSD after facing a threating or traumatic event that affects him/her intensely. While there can be innumerable causes of PTSD, a few common events that can lead to this disorder include the following:
  • Nightmare
  • War or combat
  • Sexual assault
  • Bomb blast
  • Terrifying accident and loss of lives of loved ones
  • Hurricane
  • Disastrous earthquake

Thus, the reasons may vary, but the condition of a stressed or anxious patient may worsen with time due to constant flashbacks to the incident.

PTSD’s exact diagnosis and treatment options

Although PTSD can occur after a month, a few months or years after the traumatic event has taken place, and the symptoms and their intensity may vary in every individual, it is highly important to treat this disorder when identified. Approaching a mental health practitioner in time can prevent the disorder from going worse. The expert can conduct physical and psychological examinations of the patient and evaluate his/her symptoms to diagnose the disorder. Based on the diagnosis, several types of treatments may be offered. Following are some treatment options available for PTSD:

• Medication: To offer relief from stress/anxiety, some anti-anxiety medication may be given according to the exact dosage requirements of the patient. The psychiatrist may also suggest some type of antidepressants and such drugs that can help in reducing nightmares. Seeking the right treatment is essential, as only the expert can choose the best medication for the patient.
• Psychotherapy: While the psychiatrist may conduct talk therapy or cognitive therapy to understand the deeper thought patterns of the patient and help him/her overcome the associated fears, the patient may also be given exposure therapy so he/she becomes able to face the memories effectively and cope up with the situation. The patient can be offered help with stress management through different techniques, as well as trained through EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) that helps in managing reactions to threatening memories. Depending on the diagnosis, the right therapy or a combination of therapies may be given by the expert.
• Counseling and support: If the individual recognizes problems with his/her behavior and condition, then timely counseling can be very helpful. The patient can be given the knowledge of PTSD and the coping mechanisms to prevent making it worse. The expert also offers counseling on the way a patient should take care of him/her, as well as should connect to others and manage stressful situations. In many cases, the local support groups may also help the patient in recovering from the trauma.
• Family therapy: If the family or some loved ones recognize PTSD in an individual, then support and therapy from such people can work magic. The family can also be counseled on the disorder and the way it can be more understanding and supportive to the patient. The loved ones are guided to be better listeners and assistants in treatment.