Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety condition that develops after going through an extremely traumatic experience. These experiences may be serious physical injury, sexual abuse, accident, torture, war, or any event that causes extreme guilt or fear. This disorder can develop in both adults and children. If not treated, PTSD can cause serious adverse repercussions at home, school, and in the workplace.
Symptoms of PTSD include forgetfulness, lack of focus and poor concentration, extreme irritability, unexplained fear, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, extreme anxiety and nervousness, sleep disorders, eating disorders, nightmares, haunting flashbacks, hypervigilance, hypersensitivity, obsessiveness, anger with violent outbursts, body pains for no apparent reason, exaggerated startle response, and avoidance of anything that reminds the patient of the traumatic experience.
PTSD can be classified into four types. Symptoms for all these types are the same. The classification is based on the length of time it takes for the condition to appear and also the amount of time that it is experienced. These four types are Acute Stress Disorder, Acute PTSD, Delayed Onset PTSD, and Chronic PTSD. Symptoms of Chronic PTSD last for more than three months, disappear for a few days, and then reappear.
Unlike Acute PTSD, which is both treatable and curable, Chronic PTSD is treatable but not curable. The patient must learn how to cope with it. The most recommended treatment is the combined medication and psychotherapy approach. Psychotherapy aims to take away fear, guilt, and other unwanted thoughts and emotions that make it very difficult for the patient to move on. Medications, like antidepressants, improve other symptoms like depression and sleep disorders.
Since Chronic PTSD is not curable, coping with it is necessary whether it’s you or someone dear to you who suffers from it . Patience is very important in a relationship with someone with PTSD. The patient must get a sense of security and confidence. Support from family and friends is very helpful in recovering from this condition. If possible, family members and some friends should also go to psychotherapy sessions so they would better understand the situation and how to deal with it. The best treatment for PTSD is still the love from the people around the patient.