Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is “a mental condition that can affect a person who has had a very shocking or difficult experience and that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, etc.” (Merriam-Webster’s, n.d.) Post-traumatic stress disorder can occur after seeing a dangerous event such as war, hurricanes, car accidents, death of a loved one, and violent crimes. It can affect a victim mind, body, and the people around them. While some mental disorders are genetic, this disorder come from the things that people encounter in life. This paper will discuss the risk factor involved with post-traumatic stress disorder as well as treatments that will help overcome it and future research and approaches to treat this psychiatric illness.

Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is sometimes considered to be a relatively new diagnosis, as the name first appeared in 1980, the concept of the disorder has a very long history. That history has often been linked to the history of war, but the disorder has also been frequently described in civilian settings involving natural disasters, mass catastrophes, and serious accidental injuries. The diagnosis first appeared in the official nomenclature when Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-I was published in 1952 under the name gross stress reaction. It was omitted, however, in the next edition in 1968, after a long

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a mental health condition that is generally classified as an anxiety disorder. It is often caused by a traumatic events or emotional trauma in one’s life that leads to terrifying flashbacks, nightmares and extreme anxiety. The main cause of this disorder is the conscious and subconscious fear-memories that have developed. In essence the ‘fight or flight” response that we all have is severely damaged, even when not in a stressful or dangerous situation those suffering from PTSD may feel stressed and in danger.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric sequel to a stressful event or situation of an exceptionally threatening or catastrophic nature. It develops after a person is involved in a horrifying ordeal that involved physical maltreatment or the threat of physical harm. These events can include combat or military experience, abuse during childhood or adulthood (physical or sexual), terrorist attacks, serious accidents or natural disasters. This person may have been the one that was harmed, witnessed a harmful event or had a loved one who was harmed. It is normal for the body’s fight or flight mechanism to engage in times of danger. With a person who has PTSD, that mechanism is damaged and the person feels this even when they are not in danger. Symptoms can be categorized into four different areas – re-experiencing symptoms (flashbacks, bad dreams, frightening thoughts) , avoiding situations that remind the person of the event, negative changes in beliefs and feelings (may be fear, guilt, shame or losing interest in those activities that once were enjoyable) and hypervigilence (always feeling keyed up, trouble concentrating or sleeping). There are also feelings of hopelessness, despair, depression or anxiety, alcohol or substance abuse, physical symptoms or chronic pain and problems with employment and relationships.

Any time there is a traumatic event, physical danger, or threat or personal danger, this disorder is able to appear in ones ' life (USA Today Magazine). "A key factor is the persons ' response to this event, whether it happens to them or they are witnesses to feelings of intense fear, helplessness, or horror" (USA Today Magazine). "To be classified as PTSD the symptoms must last longer than one month, and usually appear within six months to a year after the event" (USA Today Magazine). Jim Dwyer describes Traumatic memories as "frozen in time, waiting to thaw" (Block, Norris). "PTSD has become a common condition among the armed forces as well as the police, and it has spread throughout society" (Fitzpatrick). "After Vietnam, PTSD appeared and was rapidly taken over from the veterans" (Fitzpatrick).

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that involves a reaction to a traumatic event. There are four types of symptoms that doctors associated PTSD with: Intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. Some specific symptoms of PTSD are: nightmares, avoiding things that remind the person of the event, bad thoughts, depression, sleep problems, anger issues, and guilt/shame (Mayo Clinic). Furthermore, the symptoms usually start soon after the traumatic event. All the symptoms of PTSD can be traced back to a traumatic event, and each case is different (VA).

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder begins with some sort of terrible emotional or physical event, but the effects remain with the individual. You can experience the event by direct contact, sight, or learning of the trauma, usually involving death, catastrophic injury, or sexual assault. PTSD is a mental health condition that is tied closely with flashbacks, night terrors, rumination on the event and anxiety. Not all people who experience a terrifying event have PTSD, as with time and resiliency techniques, the residuals will go away. Some even using those techniques will develop PTSD. PTSD usually begins within the first three months after an event, but sometimes it will take years to develop. PTSD has

Symptoms must present themselves in a certain way within a certain period of time and for a certain duration to be considered PTSD. Another criterion is how much of an impact the condition has on the patient’s everyday life. The cornerstone symptom of PTSD is re-experience of the trauma. This means the person is plagued with unwanted memories of the event that so badly scarred him. These memories can come in the form of nightmares, flashbacks, and recollections. In each of these instances, memories of the event suddenly and unexpectedly flood the sufferer, and he feels like he’s experiencing it all over again. This can be triggered by a cue, or it can come unbidden. The person’s brain releases chemicals as if he is experiencing the trauma, creating a fear response that’s both physical and mental. Re-experience is one of four main symptoms of adults with PTSD. The other are Avoidance (The person will go out of his way to avoid being reminded of the trauma.), Numbness (In response to the pain created by the haunting memories, the person may seek out anything that can keep it away, including alcohol and drugs.), and Hyperarousal (A state of continuous heightened awareness.). The tricky part in diagnosing the disorder is that, after a trauma, most people experience the same symptoms as those of a person with PTSD. The difference is that these symptoms fade on their own over

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a genuine sickness. You can get PTSD in the wake of living through or seeing a traumatic occasion, for example, war, a tropical storm, rape, physical misuse, or an awful mischance. PTSD makes you feel pushed and perplexed after the peril is over. It influences your life and the general population around you. PTSD can cause flashbacks, angry outbursts, feelings of being alone, or trouble sleeping or nightmares. PTSD starts at different times for different people. PTSD begins at various times for various individuals. Indications of PTSD may begin not long after a terrifying occasion and afterward proceed. Other individuals grow new or more serious signs months or even years after the fact. PTSD can transpire, even kids. Treatment may incorporate talk treatment, pharmaceuticals, or both. Treatment may take 6 to 12 weeks. For some individuals, it takes longer ( U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2).

“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” 2014 states symptoms usually begin early, within 3 months of the traumatic incident, but sometimes they begin years afterward. For symptoms to be considered under the category of PTSD, they must last for over a month and must be reoccurring. Every person is different. Sometimes people can be cured of PTSD within six months and it would have been acute or even temporary PTSD, but others could take years to be cured which at that point it would be considered as chronic or long-term PTSD. A doctor who has experience helping people with mental illness, such as a psychiatrist, or a psychologist, can diagnose PTSD. As mentioned before, to be diagnosed with PTSD it must be a reoccurring symptom, but anyone can just claim a reoccurring symptom and call it PTSD. “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” 2016 stated that the specifics are at least one re-experiencing symptom, at least one avoidance symptom, at least two arousal and reactivity symptoms and at least two cognition and mood symptoms.

“Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental disorder that follows experiencing or witnessing an extremely traumatic, tragic, or terrifying event. People with PTSD usually have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to.” (psychcentral.com).Three point six percent (five point four million) of U.S. adults develop Post-Traumatic stress disorder in a given year (National Center for PTSD). Post- traumatic stress disorder is classified as acute, chronic or delayed onset. Acute post-traumatic stress disorder presents with symptoms that do not persist beyond three months, while in the chronic form the symptoms last more than three months. Delayed onset post-traumatic stress disorder is the one in which the symptoms start appearing about six months following exposure to the traumatic event. As compared to normal stress that is usually associated with acute reactions that rapidly return to the normal state, the biological and psychological mechanisms in post-traumatic stress disorder are chronic

To be diagnosed with PTSD, an adult must experience all of the following for at least a month or more after the trauma. At least one reexperiencing symptom such as flashbacks with or without physical symptoms, like racing heart, upsetting dreams, frightening thoughts, or sweating may disrupt a person’s everyday activity. The person

There are four main categories used to diagnose individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms. People with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder will relive, avoid, have negative moods, and have an increase in arousal. When people relive the traumatic event they will have flashbacks of things that occurred. Sometimes these happen as nightmares or hallucinations. Sometimes certain dates may make it worse. The person being effected with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder will avoid people and places. The isolation from friends and family can lead to feeling detached. They may even lose interest in things they once enjoyed. The victim may start having excessive emotions. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can make you feel like you can’t relate to others, have loss of sleep, and outbreaks in anger.

Individuals with PTSD persistently re-experience their traumatic event in their thoughts, perceptions, imagery, dreams, illusions, hallucinations, and flashbacks. They may experience intense physiological distress or reactivity to cues of the traumatic event. These individuals persistently avoid any stimuli associated with the traumatic event and use other mechanisms to cope with any situation or cue that recalls or contradicts their emotional or cognitive responses to the traumatic event (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). Individuals with PTSD also experience persistent symptoms of increased arousal, such as irritability and difficulty concentrating. These disturbances can cause significant distress in social life, the work place, and family systems. According to the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV-TR), in order for individuals to be diagnosed with PTSD they must experience disturbances and symptoms for more than one month (2000). Symptoms can be specified as acute (less than 3 months), chronic (3 months or more), or with delayed onset; in which onset starts 6 months after the actual stressor (DSM-IV-TR, 2000).

A little background: PTSD is a psychological disorder formed from traumatic experiences that involves physical harm or the threat of physical harm that make the person feel stressed or frightened when they are no longer in danger. Signs and symptoms of PTSD can be grouped into three categories: Re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, and hyper arousal symptoms . The main treatment for this is psychotherapy or