What is PTSD and how to get rid of it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

It is possible to maintain a healthy psyche even after a disaster.

What is PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD for short, is a mental condition that interferes with the lives of some victims or observers of terrible events: hostilities, disasters, accidents, physical or sexual abuse. Initially, the diagnosis was given to those who have been to the war, but PTSD can develop in anyone.

Most people feel anxious, sad, angry, or irritated after a traumatic event. They have insomnia and constant fatigue. This is a normal reaction to a threat to life and health, a feeling of helplessness and loss of control over what is happening. But after a month, these manifestations, as a rule, weaken and people return to normal life.

If the symptoms do not fade away, the person continues to be tormented by memories and nightmares, we can talk about the development of post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the WHO, 9% of those who have experienced something terrible need treatment from it. At the same time, women suffer from PTSD 2.5 times more often than men, although men face more dangerous situations.

PTSD cannot but be treated. Frustration spoils personal, social, work relationships and interferes with daily tasks.

Why PTSD Occurs

It is not known exactly why stress disorder develops in certain people. But there are factors that increase the risks:

• The nature of the injury. The stronger and longer the stress, the higher the likelihood of PTSD.
• Previous psychological trauma. For example, childhood abuse.
• Heredity. Those whose relatives have had anxiety or depression are more at risk.
• A job or hobby with constant stress or danger to life.
• The presence of other mental disorders.
• Temperament, as well as how the brain regulates hormones and other chemicals that are released in response to stress.
• Lack of support from loved ones after an injury.
• Frequent use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances.

How does PTSD manifest?

Symptoms of PTSD are more likely to be detected within a month after the event, but sometimes they are not noticed until several years later. This can happen against the backdrop of new stress or an occasional reminder of the experience.

Symptoms can be divided into four main groups.

Obsessive Memories and Dreams

• A person cannot forget and constantly replays what happened in his head.
• He has nightmares, which makes it scary to go to bed.
• Any reminder of an event evokes strong emotions or physical manifestations. For example, after a car accident, the victim reacts to a car signal with trembling hands or a sudden attack of fear.

Avoidance

• The victim is constantly trying to forget about the experience, a lot of effort and energy is spent on this.
• He diligently avoids places or people that can remind of the terrible. For example, after the death of a loved one, a person may refuse to meet with other relatives so as not to talk about the deceased.
• Leaves favorite activities if they are somehow connected with what happened. A girl who has survived an attack in a stairwell may refuse to exercise after work, because she is afraid to return home in the evening.

Changes in mood and thinking

• Negative thoughts about yourself, other people, or the world appear.
• Haunted by a sense of hopelessness. There are no goals in life and no desire to change something.
• Memory problems occur. Sometimes it is difficult to remember important details of the traumatic event.
• It becomes difficult to communicate with loved ones, to maintain relationships.
• Interest in hobbies or meetings with friends disappears.
• The victim is not able to rejoice or grieve, only distantly observes life from the sidelines.

Changes in physical and emotional responses

• A person constantly feels a threat to life and seeks to protect himself by any means.
• Often feels guilty about what happened or ashamed. Thinks about how it was possible to avoid what happened.
• Lost concentration, difficult work or just reading a book.
• The victim may be hot-tempered and aggressive.
• Sleep problems appear.
• A person unconsciously strives for self-destruction. For example, he drinks a lot or ignores traffic rules.

Symptoms can increase or decrease, manifest themselves only with new stress or a reminder of a terrible event. The victim himself may not associate sleep or concentration problems with the trauma they have experienced, especially if it has been a long time. But at the same time, constant stress interferes with a normal life.

What to do if you have suicidal thoughts

In this case, you must immediately seek help:

• Call the Emergency Psychological Aid Center of the Russian Emergencies Ministry (+7 495 989-50-50) or the Independent Psychiatric Association (+ 7 495 625-06-20). They work around the clock.
• Contact a psychologist - it is possible without registration.
• Seek support from loved ones.

How is PTSD Treated?

It is not worth ignoring post-traumatic stress disorder, problems by themselves will not go away. For a start, it is better to go to a therapist. He will check for any physical illness that can cause mental changes. For this, the doctor will conduct an examination and prescribe the necessary examinations. This can be a chest x-ray, blood tests, or a CT scan of the brain.

If everything is in order with the body, the therapist will refer you to a specialized specialist for consultation. He will determine whether medication is needed or if psychotherapy is enough.

Before meeting with a therapist, it is worth preparing a list of symptoms, changes in behavior or lifestyle. At the appointment - ask the specialist about the experience of working with PTSD and the number of patients who overcame it. It is important to ask all the exciting questions at once, because the success of the treatment largely depends on the trusting relationship between the patient and the psychotherapist.

What psychotherapy can be

According to experts, only psychotherapy can get rid of PTSD. Medicines can only relieve acute manifestations and temporarily improve the quality of life.

Several methods are used to treat PTSD:

• Cognitive therapy … The doctor will deal with thinking errors and stereotypes that prevent you from returning to normal life after an injury. For example, the thought “I’m bad, since they did this to me” will gradually turn into “I was treated like this, but it doesn’t make me bad”. The patient will keep a diary and describe in it his condition and reactions to different situations. Gradually, a person will learn to solve problems that were previously beyond his power.
• Behavioral or exposure therapy … The point of the method is to return to a traumatic situation under the supervision of a psychotherapist. The patient is immersed in the past with the help of video, sounds or verbal description, but the specialist teaches to cope without panic and horror. Over time, memories cease to scare, it becomes possible to live on without looking back at the trauma.
• EMDR, or DPDG - desensitization and processing by eye movement. This method was developed specifically for the treatment of PTSD. It is believed that the brain cannot handle the stressful event and therefore the memories do not go away. In an EMDR session, the patient briefly focuses on the past while simultaneously focusing on eye movements or other stimuli: pats, sounds. This synchronizes the activity of both hemispheres and helps the brain process painful memories. If the injury was minor, four to five sessions may be sufficient.

What drugs can a doctor prescribe

Medication is prescribed at the same time as psychotherapy if it is necessary to remove the most striking manifestations of the disorder and improve the quality of life before psychotherapy works.

Several groups of drugs are used:

• Antidepressants … May reduce manifestations of anxiety and depression, improve sleep, memory and concentration.
• Mood stabilizers … They are used to reduce impulsivity, temper tantrums and to reduce irritability.
• Antipsychotic drugs … They are prescribed if the shock was too heavy and memories and emotions interfere with life.
• Benzodiazepines … Used to reduce severe anxiety and improve sleep. But now they are rarely prescribed.

What else can be done

Taking care of yourself helps you get back to your normal life faster and easier. For this it is worth:

• Follow the treatment plan, even if it seems that psychotherapy and medication are not working. It takes time to get easier.
• Find an opportunity for good rest and sports or walking. Physical activity and healthy sleep are both relaxing and healing.
• Diverse and tasty food. Lack of beneficial elements can worsen mental health.
• Reduce or eliminate possible sources of stress. New concerns are lengthening treatment.
• Refuse coffee, alcohol and cigarettes. They can increase anxiety.
• Chat with loved ones and meet friends who can support and listen.
• Find interesting hobbies that will distract from experiences and memories.

How well is PTSD treated?

Everything is individual. The result will depend on the severity of the symptoms, as well as on the patient's efforts and the support of loved ones.

But if you follow all the doctor's recommendations, sooner or later you can recover and return to normal life.

Moreover, new drugs and methods are constantly appearing. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration recently approved an app to interrupt nightmares.

How to help a loved one with PTSD

If a relative or friend has PTSD, the most important thing is to help them seek professional help. After all, the victim may perceive the situation inadequately and believe that everything will pass by itself.

In addition, it is important:

• Recognize that avoidance and withdrawal are symptoms of the disorder. Do not insist on your help if the person rejects it. Just explain that you are there.
• Be prepared to listen. Let your loved one know that you can discuss what happened whenever he wants to. But don't press, don't force people to talk about trauma against their will.
• Walking together or doing something interesting.
• Plan more joint meetings, celebrate the holidays.
• Take care of yourself. It can be difficult to be around someone who has experienced something terrible. You may experience constant stress, guilt, and powerlessness. Therefore, do not forget to restore your resources: rest, eat right, play sports.
• Prepare a safe place to hide if your loved one becomes aggressive.