-ADITI RAJ
We have often heard about the word PTSD which is abbreviated as posttraumatic stress disorder. According to WHO, Posttraumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a distressing event such as a natural disaster , an accident ,maybe a war or rape or have been threatened with death, sexual assault or serious injury. In 1980,the American psychiatric association added PTSD to the third edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder(DSM-III)
This kind of stress disorder can affect those people who have personally experienced such trauma which may have affected their mental health in an adverse manner. It can occur in the friends or family members of those who have went through such traumatic event.
What causes PTSD?
When you experiences a tough moment, your nervous system reacts with the fight-or-flight response. Your heart start beating faster and your blood pressure starts rising along your muscles getting tighten, increase your strength and reaction speed .Once the body feels the danger is passed your nervous system calms your body, lowering your heart and blood pressure, recovers to its normal state.
Signs and symptoms of PTSD
PTSD symptoms differ from person to person because everyone’s nervous system and level for stress tolerance can be different. Most likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder symptom in the hours or days following a traumatic event. It can even take year before they appear. People having such disorder get triggered by something that reminds them of their original traumatic event, such as noise or an image, a word or even a smell.
While everyone experiencing PTSD differently, there are primarily three types of symptoms which are following
1.Re-experiencing the traumatic event through bad memories, flashback and nightmares
2.Avoidance and numbing , such as avoiding those thing which reminds you of the trauma, feeling emotionally numb and detached from others
3.Hyperarousal which includes sleeping problems, constantly getting irritated, anger issues, self destructive or reckless behaviour
Curative Measures for PTSD
There is no definite care for PTSD ,but there are many types of treatment available that can lessen the symptoms. Also there are various therapy techniques, as well as evidence shows right medication can be beneficial for people struggling with symptoms of PTSD.
These treatment method are used to minimize, or even eliminate, distressing symptoms that people with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder often experience.
