Post traumatic disorder is a mental condition that can have been classified as one of the emotional illnesses. In addition to that it is said to be an anxiety disorder which is caused by terrible frightening. It is also on record to have been as a result of occasions in life that are threatening as well as other place where the life of a person was highly unsafe. It is said to be a condition that is potentially deliberating that is common with people who have witnessed serious situation for instance serious accidents, natural disasters, terrorist incidences as well as sudden death of a person who is close to them.
Persons suffering from this mental condition have a thing in common. It occurs that in most cases they re-experience the same events that were traumatic in one way or another. As a result these patients develop some characteristic that are common to majority of them. For instance patients suffering from this condition tend to fear and occasionally avoid some places. They are also known to fear and avoid some people who may be the people who cause give harm to them or look like some other person who abused them in the past (Vanderploeg, pg151). The people also have a habit of avoiding anything that can bring back the memories of something bad that happened in their lives. Well conducted research has shown that apart from being avoidant, these people are in most cases hyperousal.
Research has it that these condition could have dated back to as much as the human race have existed, post-traumatic stress disorders came to be recognised as a diagnosis formally as late as in 1980. However the symptoms of the disease were present even during the world war and also during the American civil war. In those times it was only referred to with different name for instance the soldiers fatigue or it was said that the patients were suffering from the soldier’s heart. During the World War 2, these symptoms were also evident. Record are very clear about these condition where it can be established that the suffering soldier were said to be having a condition known as gross stress reaction. In the Vietnam War, the presence of this mental condition was also witnessed. It is on record the soldier who participated in the war were said to be suffering from a condition that was known as post-Vietnam syndrome.
This condition as a result attracted so many researchers who were concerned about it. From the different researches that were conducted, there was a consensus among the researcher that when this condition takes long before it is treated, it causes complex post-traumatic stress disorder. This is one condition that becomes very serious since the problem becomes an everlasting one. This causes the patient to have problem with regard to their emotional and social functioning. Records have it that approximately 8% of the total population of the United States of America suffers from these conditions. It is also important to note that the rate of the lifetime occurrence prevalence especially among the victims of rape and also veteran soldiers being even much higher.
Medical statistics show that between men and women, women are more likely to be identified with these conditions compared to men. Figure have it that among 5 million people in the united states of America suffering from these mental condition, the percentage of the number of women in the population is far much higher than that of men. Children are also not spared since they are also candidates of posttraumatic stress disorder. PDTS is highly associated with depression and abuse of substance as well as other anxiety disorders.
People who have trauma survivors and have PTSD condition are said to have real problem with close relationship for instance their families. This is also the case with regard to their friendship relationships. The patients usually have problem with respect to closeness, trust problem solving and communication. This affects the manner in which survivor interacts with other people (Pedersen, pg 201). On the other hand, how the trauma survivor is treated by his or her care givers affect them in a great way. Most of the people who suffer from this condition are known to continue being depressed severely and are also said to be anxious for many months or even for a couple of years after the event takes place.
Research that has been well conducted on to this issue indicates that patients suffering from PTSD may relieve the traumatic event through a couple of ways. For instance, the patients may relieve the event through nightmares, flash backs as well as through intrusive memories. Research shows that the patient’s lives are absolutely disrupted in that they feel anxious and experience e other conditions that they never had.
Another thing that is common among the victims of trauma is that they feel numb emotionally. It is also common for them to feel detached from people even the very close friends. Among them, it is difficult to find one who has love feelings. It is also a common thing to find that they look into the future from the perspective of a pessimist. Most of the patients lose interest in the activities that they have been enjoying for a long time in their lives.
The patients are known to go through several difficulties into their lives. For instance the patients have adverse problems with regard to sleep. The patients cannot be able to sleep well and remain asleep for long. It is common for victims of these conditions to outburst out of anger as they are easily irritable. The patients are poor when it comes to concentration and they are known to be very vigilant (Ciccarelli, pg99)
Research has shown that the patients with PTSD condition need not to worry since treatment for the condition are available. a patient who needs to be treated is required to shown some of the symptom for more than 4 weeks. Treatment may not be necessary for those patients with symptoms that are mild. For instance if a patient experienced the traumatic event in less than a week or two, the symptom are usually very mild treatment may not be very necessary. However, for the patient whose symptoms of their condition are severe and prolonged, treatment will play an important role in helping the patient to re-adjust.
Research has shown that if the patient undergoes through the treatment effectively depending on the therapy that his or her doctor has prescribed, then the patient can be sure that the disturbing memories will be erased in totality. Treatment may involve use of medical drugs as doctors may prescribe therapies for the patient depending on the discretion of the doctor which will best fit the patient.
Work Cited
Vanderploeg, R.D, H.G Belanger, and G Curtiss. "Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Their Associations with Health Symptoms." Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 90.7 (2009): 1084-1093. Print.
Pedersen, Darlene D. Psych Notes: Clinical Pocket Guide. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis, 2012. Print.
Ciccarelli, Saundra K, and J N. White. Psychology: An Exploration. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson, 2013. Print.
