It was never a new thing, it just went under more than eighty aliases over the years. At one time it was known as nostalgia and homesickness, in another time it was referred to as shell shock and irritable heart. Yet no matter the moniker, the disorder is real, and is present in human beings who have been subjected to hurt, danger, and extreme situations.
When the official term for long term trauma entered the vocabulary in 1980, so did the many interventions designed to manage the condition. In recent years, telepsychiatry for post-traumatic stress disorder is used to bridge connections and treat hard to reach patients and contact further support. But let us take a look at the syndrome itself in order to understand and to determine whether someone we know needs help.
Witnessing or experiencing something terrible such as a crime or an accident is enough fuel for some people to have PTSD. Surviving catastrophes, such as earthquakes or typhoons, or being in a war zone will also cause people to be at risk, although some people are more resilient than others. Resiliency signs include effective coping strategies, calm in the face of harm, having great social support, and the ability to respond well to dangerous situations. Those who are prone to PTSD are more likely to feel helpless, anxious, extremely fearful, and have little or no help after a traumatic event.
Genes also have a role in PTSD the same way they have in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. A protein called stathmin which is present in genes are responsible in the creation of fear memories. Studies show that laboratory mice who lack stathmin are less panicky than their stathmin filled counterparts.
Being psychologically healthy also depends on how your brain functions. Persons who are prone to PTSD have underdeveloped or impaired amygdalas and prefrontal complexes. The amygdala is responsible for evoking emotions, learning, and recall when something happens, while the prefrontal cortex handles our ability to solve problems and judging situations. Understanding how our brain and genes betray some of us will be a vital part in pointing out who is at risk for the syndrome.
Diagnosis requires one re experiencing symptom, two hyperarousal and three avoidance symptoms. Re experiencing symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, and scary thoughts may affect the person daily, such that it would drastically intervene in the life of the afflicted. Objects, words, and certain situations may trigger these symptoms.
Three avoidance symptoms are needed to be diagnosed. The signs include staying away from anything that reminds the individual of the experience, even to the point of losing interest in their previous hobbies. For example, traumatized rape victims may not want to have sex anymore even with their loving partner.
Hyperarousal symptoms consist of always feeling on the edge, tension, being surprised or startled easily, experiencing outbursts, and insomnia. These are constant symptoms and do not need triggers to happen. A person with PTSD may have trouble accomplishing daily tasks such as sleeping, concentrating, and even eating. Because these signs are normal after a tragic event, they can be called acute stress disorder rather than PTSD.
People who have reached all three requirements for diagnosis must undergo therapeutic sessions, most notably cognitive behavioral therapy. Psychiatrists may also prescribe the approved drugs such as sertraline and paroxetine. For utter prevention, critical incident stress debriefing has been imposed immediately after a traumatic event to halt the possibility of PTSD.
When the official term for long term trauma entered the vocabulary in 1980, so did the many interventions designed to manage the condition. In recent years, telepsychiatry for post-traumatic stress disorder is used to bridge connections and treat hard to reach patients and contact further support. But let us take a look at the syndrome itself in order to understand and to determine whether someone we know needs help.
Witnessing or experiencing something terrible such as a crime or an accident is enough fuel for some people to have PTSD. Surviving catastrophes, such as earthquakes or typhoons, or being in a war zone will also cause people to be at risk, although some people are more resilient than others. Resiliency signs include effective coping strategies, calm in the face of harm, having great social support, and the ability to respond well to dangerous situations. Those who are prone to PTSD are more likely to feel helpless, anxious, extremely fearful, and have little or no help after a traumatic event.
Genes also have a role in PTSD the same way they have in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. A protein called stathmin which is present in genes are responsible in the creation of fear memories. Studies show that laboratory mice who lack stathmin are less panicky than their stathmin filled counterparts.
Being psychologically healthy also depends on how your brain functions. Persons who are prone to PTSD have underdeveloped or impaired amygdalas and prefrontal complexes. The amygdala is responsible for evoking emotions, learning, and recall when something happens, while the prefrontal cortex handles our ability to solve problems and judging situations. Understanding how our brain and genes betray some of us will be a vital part in pointing out who is at risk for the syndrome.
Diagnosis requires one re experiencing symptom, two hyperarousal and three avoidance symptoms. Re experiencing symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, and scary thoughts may affect the person daily, such that it would drastically intervene in the life of the afflicted. Objects, words, and certain situations may trigger these symptoms.
Three avoidance symptoms are needed to be diagnosed. The signs include staying away from anything that reminds the individual of the experience, even to the point of losing interest in their previous hobbies. For example, traumatized rape victims may not want to have sex anymore even with their loving partner.
Hyperarousal symptoms consist of always feeling on the edge, tension, being surprised or startled easily, experiencing outbursts, and insomnia. These are constant symptoms and do not need triggers to happen. A person with PTSD may have trouble accomplishing daily tasks such as sleeping, concentrating, and even eating. Because these signs are normal after a tragic event, they can be called acute stress disorder rather than PTSD.
People who have reached all three requirements for diagnosis must undergo therapeutic sessions, most notably cognitive behavioral therapy. Psychiatrists may also prescribe the approved drugs such as sertraline and paroxetine. For utter prevention, critical incident stress debriefing has been imposed immediately after a traumatic event to halt the possibility of PTSD.
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