P.T.S.D. and the ways of its treatment - Essay Example

How marijuana can help treat P.T.S.D: For better treatment of PTSD one must know what does it really mean. PTSD stands for Post –traumatic stress disorder. It normally affects the brain and happens to those people who have seen horrors in their life like some of them may have been at a disastrous place at some point of their life. A worst car crash, a terrible earthquake or a blast, deaths in war are some of the reasons leading to PTSD and people suffering from PTSD may not show symptoms instantly but, may be after several weeks or months of exposure or may not even show at all. People who are suffering from PTSD do not act normally. They are stressed and afraid to go at those places which have badly affected them. They are scared even when they are no longer in danger. Age is not a factor in PTSD, anyone from child to adult can suffer from PTSD depending at which point of their life that particular horrible event occurred which turned their lives into a nightmare. A person may suffer from PTSD after sudden death of close family member or loved ones. Whatever the reason or source of PTSD is it leaves a terrible effect on the bearer. Person suffering from PTSD may encounter disturbances during sleep. There could be sleepless nights also know as Insomnia. Affected individuals see hallucinations both in daytime and night as well. They may lose interest in things they once used to enjoy the most. They may feel aggressive at times or even violent that can result in an attempt to commit suicide. Symptoms can be mild or severe. In severe cases they may have difficulty in socializing. They are scared to meet or talk to people. They lack interest in routine days work. In mild cases when the person starts to recover even a flashback of that horrible memory can trigger the event and the person starts to think that it is happening all over again. PTSD can be diagnosed only if the symptoms last for more than a month. A person may continue to suffer from PTSD without being diagnosed. The course of the disease varies from person to person depending upon the severity of the event. Some people may recover from 3-6 months others may last longer. In some cases it may lead to death. PTSD can cause many symptoms which can be grouped into three categories: 1. Re-experiencing symptoms: It includes flash backs of memories in the form of nightmares or hallucinations. It results in lack of interest in everyday routine work. 2. Avoidance symptoms: It means that the person starts to avoid visiting those places that reminds them of their tragedy. Person goes into a highly depressing state and loose interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past. These symptoms make the person to change his/ her personal routine. An example of this type is if a person has suffered from a sudden death of a loved one that person may not be able to love or may find it difficult to love any other person again because of the fear of losing them. 3. Hyper arousal symptoms: Person feels very depressed and has difficulty in sleeping that can be followed by sleepless nights (insomnia). Hyper arousal symptoms can make the person feel stressed and angry. Children show different symptoms like bed wetting, being unable to talk or scared to play. Older children show more or less same symptoms like adults. People suffering from PTSD can be treated with psychotherapy or medications or both. Person needs to work out which treatment suits them the best. It is better to get treatment from those who are experienced in PTSD. Psychotherapy is talk therapy in which a person discusses his/ her mental illness with the psychiatrist. This type of treatment for PTSD usually lasts 6 to 12 weeks but can more time according to the mental state of the patient. This treatment helps people with PTSD. Support from family and friends can play important role in treatment, Other medications involved in the treatment of PTSD are: Benzodiazepines: The body produces certain chemicals known as neurotransmitters whose function is to send messages from one brain cell to other that results in the production of certain excitatory or quitening response. These quitening neurotransmitters are called GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid). The function of Benzodiazepine is to trigger the effect of GABA thus causing greater inhibition or calming. When a person suffer from panic attack the brain becomes excited and start sending signals, In this case the neurotransmitters associated with the quieting response comes into action and sends the message to brain to slow down or stop. When the brain receives message it relaxes and the panic attack is gone. This is how benzodiazepines work; they have similar chemicals that produce quitening effects in the body. And when these are added to those produced naturally by the body the number of messages sent to the brain increases resulting in an excessive slow down of cells that cause excitation. Examples of Benzodiazepines: Some of the examples are Ativan, Temestsa, Centrax, Dalmane, Xanax, Librium, Serax, Paxipam etc. Tricyclic antidepressants: The name indicates that it is used by those people who are feeling depressed. They are used to improve the moods. Two chemicals present in brain that are associated with the regulation of mood and are serotonin (sometimes called 5-HT) and nor adrenaline. It has been observed that when a person is depressed due to any reason these chemicals do not function properly or are not that much effective. To make them effective Tricyclic antidepressants are used which eventually helps in lifting mood. They have been known to be helpful in the treatment of PTSD. Examples of Tricyclics: Adapin, Anafranil, Elavil, Janimine, Ludiomil, pamelor, Pertofrane, Sinequan, Surmontil, Tofranil and Vivactil are some of the examples of trycyclic antidepressants. Antiadrenergic agents: Antiadrenergic agents are those that affect the nervous system. Brain releases neurotransmitters under stress condition which cause higher heart beats and also narrows the blood vessels which ultimately increases blood pressure. These agents prevent the brain from releasing neurotransmitters by blocking them. When they are blocked hearts beats become slow and blood vessels also relaxes. When blood flow is normal blood pressure also lowers down. Example: Three agents in particular clonidine (Catapres), propanolol (Inderal), and guanfacine (Tenex) have been successfully used in reducing nightmares. Beta blockers: Beta blockers are drugs that are used to reduce symptoms of panic or anxiety. Mainly it is used to treat high blood pressure. In many cases beta blockers have been used to treat adults and children with PTSD and after taking these drugs depression can be reduced up to certain extent. Example of beta blockers: Inderal and tenormin are its example. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors SSRIs: Like other antidepressants these are used to reduce the sadness, hopefulness and depressing state of a person. They are also used to treat panic disorders. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors also known as SSRIs work by correcting the chemical imbalance in the brain. Neurotransmitters are signals that continuously carry signals from one brain cell to other and are constantly released and taken back at the end of nerve cells. SSRIs acts on a particular neurotransmitter serotonin there by reducing its re-entry into the nerve cells. When the uptake of serotonin is prevented person comes out of depressing state. Examples: Examples of available SSRI drugs include Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro and Zoloft. Azapirones AZPs: These drugs are also used to treat a wide range of mental health problems and work in a similar manner as Benzodiazepine. Example: The most commonly used Azapirone is Buspar. Anticonvulsants (Anti seizure): They are also known as mood stabilizers and work by making the brain less excited which helps in lowering down depression. Anticonvulsants comprise of a very large family of medications all function to prevent seizure activity in brain. Example of anticonvulsants: Neurontin and Valproic acid are the examples of anticonvulsants. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs): They are used as the first line of treatment in depression. MAOIs work by effecting neurotransmitters. The enzyme monoamine oxidase removes several neurotransmitters from the brain like serotonin, nor epinephrine and dopamine. MAOIs prevents this removal thereby making more of these neurotransmitters available which improves the communication between brain cells and in this way lifts the mood. MAOIs are referred only to specific people. Examples: Examples of MAOIs include Eldepryl, Marplan, Nardil and parnate. Treatment of P.T.S.D with MARIJUANA: Marijuana is a drug with many different names and is used to treat a number of diseases. Most commonly it is known as Pot. The active ingredient in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. It comes in different forms depending upon how it will be taken but, mainly it resembles tobacco. It is derived from Cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana is made by using the flower of the plant some types may be made by using leaves, stems and seeds. The color varies from green, brown to grayish appearance. The tetrahydrocannabinol in marijuana is a very active ingredient and induces relaxation. Different names of marijuana are grass, pot, weed, bud, mary jane, dope, indo, hydro, herb, home grown, KGB (Killer green bud), kindbud, locoweed, skunk, wacky tabacky etc. As mentioned earlier it comes from cannabis sativa plant and comprises of over more than 400 different chemicals which includes cannabinoids. THC is the major component which is said to have psychoactive property Marijuana affects ANS by enhancing both sides of the brain as a result of which cleaner blood is sent to the brain. It causes dilation of capillaries and the blood supply to the entire brain is increased. When more blood reaches brain it carries more oxygen with it which consequently helps in broader thinking. The body seems to be more relaxed and allows to get rid of ridiculous thoughts. Since marijuana works on both sides of the brain it both stimulates and relaxes simultaneously. It means that when the system is slow marijuana provides energy and when the system is hyper-aroused it helps to calm down. Marijuana greatly helps in reducing the depressed state, when it is ingested capillaries are dilated as a result of which heart swells and receives oxygenated blood and because of increased contractions and relaxations the pumping action of heart becomes stronger and blood is actively distributed throughout the body. The functioning of the five senses can be noticeably observed with marijuana. Marijuana has been main ingredient in natural remedies to cure many diseases for thousands of years. When mental illness is severe a part of the brain called amygdala becomes destabilized. It is a complex structure involved in emotions such as fear, anger and pleasure. It is also responsible to determine what sorts of memories are stored in brain. During the course of trauma the function of amygdala to filter memories is lost as a result of which the person continues to memorize horrible moments over and over again. Marijuana helps to restore the function of amygdala, the cannabinoid compounds in pot like THC binds to cannabinoid receptors which are present in amygdala which helps to filter out the horrific memories. Pot has helped so many people suffering from PTSD and it should not be ignored in treating people with severe mental disorders. Treatment of PTSD should be carried out through education as well. People need to know what they are going through and how their life is badly affected and what the cure to their problem is. Proper education and guidance can solve many problems and many sufferers can be helped this way. PTSD is a very devastating condition and therefore it should be treated with caution. People suffering from PTSD should not be left alone, there case should be studied if any symptoms are revealed and they should be offered every possible help they need in order to get rid of it. Whatever the treatment sources are available it should not be ignored. Many people with mental disorders can be helped with proper treatment. Work cited: 1. Medical marijuana, Benefits of medical marijuana, 10 february 2010 http://1800medicalmarijuana.com/blog/item/3-benefits-of-medical-marijuana.html 2. Bello, Joan. The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual. Boca Raton, Fla: Lifeservices Press, 2000. Print. http://www.benefitsofmarijuana.com/benefits.php 3. The medication lounge, Anxiety secrets http://www.anxietysecrets.com/loungeFrame-11.htm Read More