PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a mental health medical condition that is often triggered by a traumatic event. A person with PTSD might have personally experienced or witnessed a horrifying event. Many people who experience traumatic events may find it difficult to adjust to or cope with them for a short period of time. However, they will be able to control their thoughts and feel better over time. If the symptoms worsen and last for many months, or even years, and also start interfering with their day-to-day life, they may need help.
At any age, including childhood, a human being can develop PTSD. Women are more prone to developing PTSD than men, probably as they are more often the victims of abuse, domestic violence, and rape.
Symptoms
Symptoms may show up within one to three months of the occurrence of a traumatic event. Sometimes, symptoms may appear many years after the occurrence of the event.
If you are diagnosed with PTSD, the symptoms can significantly impact your social life, work situation, and even your relationships. It can also affect your ability to do normal daily tasks.
Typically, PTSD symptoms are categorized into four types: intrusive memories, negative changes in mood and thinking, avoidance, and changes in emotional and physical reactions. Symptoms often vary from one person to another and over time.
Intrusive Memory Symptoms
- Recurrent, unwanted, and distressing memories of the painful event
- Flashbacks of the traumatic event
- Unsettling dreams/nightmares of the harrowing event
- Severe emotional distress/physical reactions to anything that brings back the memory of the event
Symptoms of Negative Changes in Mood and Thinking
- Negative thoughts about yourself, others, and the world
- Hopelessness
- Memory problems
- Difficulty in maintaining close relationships
- Detachment from friends and family
- Not having any interest in an activity you used to enjoy
- Inability to experience positive emotions
- Emotional numbness
- Changes in emotional and physical reactions
Avoidance Symptoms
- Trying to avoid talking/thinking about the event
- Avoiding activities, people, or places that bring back memories of the event
- Negative changes in mood and thinking
Symptoms of Changes in Emotional and Physical Reactions
- Gets startled or frightened easily
- Always guarded against danger
- Self-destructive behaviour (drinking too much/driving too fast)
- Having difficulty in falling asleep
- Inability to concentrate
- Irritability, aggressive behaviour
- Overwhelming shame or guilt
Children six years old and younger may also show signs and symptoms such as:
- Re-enactment of the traumatic event/aspects related to it through play
- Frightening dreams
Intensity of symptoms
The intensity of PTSD symptoms varies over time. Furthermore, you will experience more symptoms when you are stressed or reminded of the mental trauma.
Causes and Risk Factors
Doctors are unsure as to why some people are prone to getting PTSD. As in the case of most mental health conditions, it is believed to be caused by a mix of stressful experiences, family history, temperament, and the regulation of hormones and chemicals your body releases when under stress.
People of all age groups can experience PTSD. Some of the risk factors include:
- Long-lasting and intense trauma
- Childhood abuse
- Exposure to traumatic events at work
- Having mental health problems like anxiety or depression
- Substance misuse (excessive drinking/use of drugs)
- Heredity
Effects of Trauma
A traumatic experience can have emotional, physical, cognitive, and behavioural effects on males and females. Many a time, what causes borderline personality disorder is a traumatic event.
Effects of Trauma in Males
Emotional effects include fear, anger, sadness, numbness, and shame. However, men may find it difficult to identify these emotions due to a lack of exposure and experience. A few trauma survivors fail to regulate emotions and resort to substance use to regain control.
Hyperarousal, characterized by sleep disturbances like restless sleep, early awakening, nightmares, difficulty falling asleep; muscle tension; and a lower startle response threshold, is a physical effect caused by trauma.
Cognitive effects of trauma include memories and intrusive thoughts that trigger strong emotional and behavioural reactions. Dissociation is also a cognitive effect of trauma.
Causing harm to oneself and substance use are typical behavioural effects of trauma.
Effects of Trauma in Females
Women also experience the effects of trauma. Physical effects of trauma include sleep disruption, ongoing fatigue, altered appetite, digestion problems, and a reduction in the body’s immunity level. However, the emotional, cognitive, and behavioural effects are often more intense in women than men.
Treatment
Getting effective treatment when you have PTSD symptoms is critical to not only reducing the symptoms but also improving your day-to-day life. At SoftMind, we have skilled and highly trained professionals who can provide the right treatment.
You can easily find us by doing an online search using the keywords "post-traumatic stress disorder treatment near me." Our PTSD treatment is designed to help you regain better control over your life. Primarily, we treat patients using psychotherapy. However, the treatment may also involve the use of medication. Psychotherapy includes cognitive therapy, exposure therapy, and EMDR.
We will teach you skills that you can practice to alleviate symptoms, think better, and cope with situations that bring back memories of the trauma. Our PTSD treatment also addresses mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and the use of drugs or alcohol that traumatic experiences often lead to. Besides, borderline personality disorder treatment forms part of the therapy we provide.