Post-traumatic Stress Disorder - Essay Example

? Post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that can be triggered after someone has experienced a psychologically traumatic event. A traumatic event that can spark post-traumatic stress disorder is often a life-threatening situation that an individual is personally involved in, such as feeling threatened, or else involves death, physical, psychological, or sexual virtues. The disorder can also be developed if an individual witnesses someone else in a life-threatening situation. The disorder takes place after the event has been experienced, though psychologists and therapists wait for a short period of time to see if the period of adjusting and coping does not subside. If symptoms continue, doctors go about the processes of diagnosing the individual with post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms and diagnostic criteria Post-traumatic stress disorder is one of the more complicated anxiety disorders to diagnose. This is primarily due to the fact that the disorder shares symptoms with other anxiety or stress disorders, but also because it can take up to three months for the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder to make themselves known in an individual. There have been some reported cases in which symptoms did not appear for many years after a traumatic event, but the most common timeframe is between one and three months. The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are grouped into three categories, which are increased anxiety or emotional arousal, intrusive memories, and avoidance and numbing. Increased anxiety and emotional arousal involves the individual feeling emotionally unbalanced. Patients of post-traumatic stress disorder can feel angry or guilty, even without reason. They have a psychological need to feel upset and emotionally exhausted. Paranoia and an increase in a lack of sleep are also part of this group of symptoms. People who have experienced such horrifying events become more aware of their surroundings in an attempt to completely avoid another traumatic experience. In an emotional state such as this, individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder are easily frightened; in some cases, people have been known to hear or see things that do not exist in their surroundings. Intrusive memories are among the most common symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Due to the imbalance of emotions and the fragility of the person, their mind will develop the habit of trying to relive the traumatic event. Intrusive memories usually take the form of dreams or flashbacks. While these memories only last a few minutes, they have been known to last up to four or five days. The person becomes unable to escape the memories of the event, which increases the emotional stress that they are under. They are constantly reminded of what they witnessed or experienced, causing them to feel even more anxious about what took place. Avoidance and numbing consists of the individual coping with the traumatic event by avoiding anything that may remind them of what took place. People that prefer to avoid reminders of the event go out of their way to do so. They do not talk or think about what took place, they avoid where it happened, and they stop communicating or involving themselves with others who may have also been involved. Concentrating becomes an impossible task as sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder try to keep their minds off of the event. In this process, they become emotionally numb, either unwilling or unable to express emotions. A final symptom that does not have a category includes how an individual with post-traumatic stress disorder perceives and handles life. Many people who have been diagnosed with this disorder feel a sense of hopelessness for the future. They do not feel that they have a chance at a future, so they lose interest in hobbies and activities that they once enjoyed. Their relationships take a turn for the worst and they can begin to care less about themselves and their well-being. Post-traumatic stress disorder has the ability to make a sufferer feel as if every second could be their last. The Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders presents a list of criteria that must be met before a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder can be made. Some of the major criteria is as follows: 1. Exposure to a psychologically traumatic or disastrous event, which must involve a severe negative emotional response, a threat to character and honor, or a threat of injury or death; 2. Unrelenting re-experiencing of the event, including flashbacks and dreams. This also includes responding negatively to anything that might remind the individual of the traumatic event; 3. Avoiding anything related to the event, such as people, places, and other stimuli. They become emotionally unbalanced and numb; 4. Symptoms of arousal that were not present prior to the traumatic event. These symptoms include paranoia, sleeplessness, trouble concentrating, and difficulty in controlling some of the more dramatic emotions, such as anger; 5. The symptoms must last longer than one month; 6. Impairment that causes the victim to to shut themselves away from everyone else. They avoid people, their relationships deteriorate, and they can risk losing their job or placement in school (Smith, 2010). Risk factors Post-traumatic stress disorder is more commonly found in adults, though children are capable of developing the disorder. Children and teenagers are young enough to not be as negatively effected by a traumatic event, which is due to the lack of growth in younger brains. Some children may not even realize that there is something to be afraid of. Furthermore, children and teenagers are more skilled at implementing positive coping techniques. Not only can this help prevent the development of post-traumatic stress disorder in younger people, but these techniques can also help them rid the chance of developing post-traumatic stress disorder in the future. Exposure at a younger age has the ability to make people immune to some anxiety disorders. The greatest risk factor in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder is the involvement of an activity that could lead the a traumatic event or the ability to experience intense fear. Paramedics, police officers, and fire fighters are prone to developing post-traumatic stress disorder because their career puts them into daily situations of threat to one’s life or the chance of witnessing a traumatic event. Being in situations of physical abuse or neglect can also increase the chances of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic disorder can also develop if additional family members have been diagnosed with the disorder. Risk factors are also dependent on gender. Women are more prone to developing post-traumatic stress disorder mainly because they have an increased risk of experiencing some of the events that can trigger the disorder. Large numbers of women are subjected to rape and sexual molestation, or being physically attacked or threatened with a weapon. Since most women are smaller in size compared to men, a man can simply be threatening and dangerous based on his size; he can potentially use his body as a weapon of sorts. The most common risk factor of post-traumatic stress disorder in men, on the other hand, is being a soldier. One out of every eight soldiers that return home from a tour of duty is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, which accounts for the highest category of those at risk of developing the disorder (Van Winkle, 2010). Theories of causation While psychologists have a rather thin idea of what causes post-traumatic stress disorder, they also believe that there is a complex mixture involving a variety of elements that triggers the disorder. One of the greatest elements behind the development of the disorder are the life experiences that an individual has been subjected to since childhood. If an individual faces abuse or neglect, or even a weak support system among their family and close friends, they have an increased possibility of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. A trigger event can also take place when someone is young; they might not react if they are abused as a child, but if they are then abused as an adult, they can develop post-traumatic stress disorder. It has been established that post-traumatic stress disorder is precipitated by the experiencing or witnessing of a traumatic event, but there are psychological ways that onset the disorder. The component that actually causes the post-traumatic stress disorder to form is the abnormal level of stress that becomes present as the person witnesses the event. The stress releases high levels of hormones that affect how a person’s brain and body respond to the situation and its accompanying stress and anxiety. New chemicals become present in the brain during stressful moments, but if the brain does not regulate these chemicals and hormones in a normal fashion, the individual will have an abnormal response and coping method to their stress (Afgan, 2010). Similarly, the symptoms that arise as a response to post-traumatic stress disorder are due in part to an overactive adrenaline response. This overactive response can create deep neurological patterns in a person’s brain. Psychologists have not been able to determine how long the patterns remain, or if they even go away over time, but they have determined that the patterns are the leading cause to the hyper-responsiveness of a person to future traumatic events that they may witness or be involved in. Genetics is yet another cause of post-traumatic stress disorder. As with most disorders and diseases, if someone has a family history of post-traumatic stress disorder, the individual has an increased chance of developing it for themselves. When an individual has an inherited predisposition to post-traumatic stress disorder, others in that gene family are just as capable of developing it. Understanding one’s family history of post-traumatic stress disorder can be very useful as it helps to determine if individual family members stand a risk of developing the disorder if they are exposed to a traumatic event. Treatment For an individual to stand a better chance of overcoming their case of post-traumatic stress disorder and the fear that has shadowed them, they need to get medical attention as soon as possible. Before the fear has time to set in and post-traumatic stress disorder has developed, anybody who has witnessed or experienced a horrific event, such as a car accident or sexual violence, should seek help immediately. Therapy can help to alleviate the stress and anxiety that accompanies a traumatic event, and thus prevent the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder. For those that are unable to seek help right after a traumatic event, psychotherapy and medication exists as treatment options. The type of psychotherapy that a post-traumatic stress patient receives is dependent on the symptoms that they display. It also depends on the type of therapy that they are comfortable with. In most cases, people that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder go through various types of therapy as their symptoms persist or fade. One-on-one therapy between a patient and a psychologist is the most sought therapy. Group therapy is implemented when individuals are willing to share their experiences with others and to accept held and comfort from people that have been in similar situations. Family therapy is also available should the family of an individual with the disorder want to seek techniques in coping with and helping their loved one. Four specialized therapies are available for people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Cognitive therapy helps the patient to understand what caused the onset of the disorder, how they responded to the event, and healthy and productive ways that they can handle their emotions. Exposure therapy helps an individual confront and cope with the part of the traumatic event that terrified them. Cognitive behavior therapy guides a patient in substituting their destructive responses with positive responses. Eye movement desensitization allows a person to process their memories, which helps them to acknowledge the event (Walser & Westrup, 2007). There are no medications that directly help people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Instead, psychologists rely on medications to pinpoint and alleviate the specific symptoms associated with the disorders. Antidepressants help control depression, anxiety, and stress, and is usually the first medication prescribed to a person after their diagnosis. Prazosin is also prescribed and is used to block the brain’s response to norepinephrine, which is an adrenalin-like brain chemical (Horowitz, 2011). This chemical is what induces paranoia in a person, so the medication is used to prevent the chemicals from taking their toll. Conclusion Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that is caused by an exposure to a psychologically traumatic event. The traumatic event must be life-threatening or else be a threat to a person’s integrity. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder usually do not appear until one to three months after the event has been witnessed. People with post-traumatic stress disorder experience paranoia, difficulty in concentrating, and a lack of sleep. They become horrified of their surroundings, waiting for another traumatic event to take place. They can also experience flashbacks and dreams of the event, and they try to avoid anything related to the event. Adults are more at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder, and women are more prone than men. Genetics play a large role in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as a history of abuse or neglect. Therapy and medications are available as treatment options for sufferers. Therapy ranges from basic therapy to specialized treatment that help to pinpoint the cause of the post-traumatic stress disorder. Medications do not exist specifically for the disorder, but medications are used for individual symptoms. References Afgan, N. (2010). Neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disorder. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers. Horowitz, M. (2011). Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders. New York: Createspace. Smith, P. (2010). Post traumatic stress disorder. London: Routledge. Winkle, C. V. (2010). Soft spots: A Marine's memoir of combat and post-traumatic stress disorder. New York: St. Martin's Press. Walser, R. D., & Westrup, D. (2007). Acceptance and commitment therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma-related problems. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Read More