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Join Trevor Dumbletona look at what post-traumatic stress disorder
is and how it can be treated. Learn about how the most effective
method is early intervention.
Dealing With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
For those who experience it, post-traumatic stress disorder can
be an incredibly debilitating disease that can prevent you from
living a full life. This disorder can bring back moments of severe
stress so clearly that it is almost as though you are reliving
the moment all over again.
| First diagnosed in war veterans,
post-traumatic stress disorder was initially named "shell
shock" then "battle fatigue". However, by the
time of the conflict in Vietnam, it was given the name "post-traumatic
stress disorder" (PTSD) in order to give a clearer idea
of what exactly is at work. |
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As well, it is not only found in war veterans. In fact, it can
be seen in people who were abused as children, rape victims, people
who have to clean up after disaster, or anyone else who has undergone
severe stress at any point in their lives.
Unfortunately, the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder
is still in its infancy. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists
are still coming to grips with the disease and its causes and effects,
but they are learning new things constantly.
In a strictly biochemical sense, PTSD has its root causes at the
moment of stress itself. It seems that at moments of extreme stress,
the biochemical system in charge of adjusting to stress is reset,
like a computer. It is as though the system is so overloaded that
it has to shut itself down and restart. Unfortunately, this also
causes the mind to quickly return to that moment when it had to
start and stop, which can cause flashbacks to the moments when the
shock occurred.
The other results of post-traumatic stress disorder include anger,
depression, anxiety, substance abuse, memory problems including
amnesia, or any of a host of other mental disorders. Unfortunately,
many of these disorders are treated individually without concern
for the root cause. This is particularly worrisome because approximately
3.6% of adults between the ages of 18 and 54 are suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder and the vast majority of them go
undiagnosed and untreated. As well, women are twice as likely as
men to experience PTSD after a sudden shock.
For those who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder,
there are some ways to treat it. The most common form of treatment
is through psychotherapy. A therapist has several tools at his or
her disposal and can work with the sufferer to root out the causes
of the disorder and help cure it. As well, a psychiatrist is the
best person to talk to in order to actually diagnose PTSD in the
first place, helping the sufferer to at least understand what is
happening. Knowing what is wrong is the first step to curing it,
after all.
Group treatment is also effective, as it allows people to talk
about their feelings of guilt, shame, anxiety, or depression with
others who feel the same way. This allows people to get comfortable
with one another and talk about their feelings openly and honestly.
By getting the issues out in the open, it almost spreads it out
and allows the trauma to dissipate by opening it up to other people.
However, there are some medications that can be used to help treat
post-traumatic stress disorder. Mostly, these drugs are used to
treat some of the symptoms of PTSD, such as depression or anxiety,
allowing the sufferer to at least alleviate the condition. Most
of these drugs take some time to work before they actually show
results so, if you have been put onto medication for PTSD, give
it a few weeks before you start expecting relief.
However, studies have shown that the best way to treat post-traumatic
stress disorder is to nip it in the bud shortly after the trauma
has occurred. The usual method is to sit down with someone who has
suffered a trauma about 3-10 days after the trauma occurred. This
will allow the feelings to be fresh, while it also helps people
relieve the trauma by bringing it out before it hides itself in
the mind. There has been some success with this sort of treatment,
though it does require the trauma to be recognized early.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a surprisingly common disorder
that often goes unnoticed and untreated. However, with improvements
in therapy and medication, there is new hope for those who suffer
from this debilitating disorder.
About the Author
Trevor Dumbleton is the owner of http://www.LowerYourStress.com/,
a categorized resource directory for everything to do with stress.
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