The term "psychological trauma" used quite often. But not everyone understands what real trauma is and how to live with it. A strong, acute effect on the psyche can lead to anxiety and obsessive thoughts. And what is most dangerous, such stress can also have a protracted (delayed) reaction. The echo of a long-standing mental pain can lead to the most severe consequences. What is PTSD and how to deal with it, we will tell in this article.
- Post Traumatic Disorder: Survive but not forget
- Main signs of post-traumatic stress disorder
- How to deal with PTSD: treatments
Post Traumatic Disorder: Survive but not forget
All stress causes a mental reaction, but not everyone leads to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This condition develops in those who have experienced a truly dangerous event that threatens life and health, as well as those who have witnessed something terrible (murder, violence). PTSD often occurs in the military, police and other people whose specialty is associated with danger and risk to life. Also, this disorder can occur in children who have experienced beatings, violence, bullying.
PTSD doesn't necessarily follow stress. Mentally stable people will survive a short-term traumatic episode quite easily. Psychologists believe that after, for example, a terrorist attack, PTSD occurs in 1 10 survivors of this event. In the end, we all experience death and disease, but time heals these spiritual wounds. Emotionally unstable people, children, and those who have already had mental traumas are at risk.
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Main signs of post-traumatic stress disorder
How do you differentiate between PTSD and normal stress? Indeed, after any crisis situations (for example, dismissal, divorce), a depressed state, anxiety, loss of interest in life are noted. Post-traumatic stress disorder has several specific features that distinguish it from other mental disorders:
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Haunting Memories. Even years later, a person remembers and relives the traumatic experience with accuracy to the smallest detail. Anything can trigger memories: a smell, a sound, similar voices, etc. etc.
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Avoidance. The survivor of stress refuses to talk about this event, avoids places, meetings, situations that may remind him of this event. Some even manage to isolate their memories (partial amnesia), but the event still recurs in dreams and nightmares.
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Aggression, an acute reaction to minor events.People suffering from PTSD may become enraged or react hysterically to little things. They easily lose their peace of mind, so they try to avoid provoking factors (mass events, meetings with friends), close up.
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Psychosomatic illnesses. Insomnia, panic attacks, tachycardia, decreased concentration are common in PTSD sufferers.
PTSD symptoms appear and persist some time (usually 4-5 weeks) after the trauma. It is impossible to diagnose PTSD immediately after severe stress, this condition occurs after months, and then and years. So, soldiers who have returned from the war can live a completely happy life, and only in their old age do post-traumatic disorder overtake them. They remember battles, withdraw, suffer from insomnia, move away from loved ones.
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How to deal with PTSD: treatments
Unfortunately, PTSD will not go away on its own and can not be cured by spiritual conversations and support from loved ones. Constant stress causes changes in the hormonal background, the production of neurotransmitters that calm the nervous system and reduce the level of cortisol and adrenaline (stress hormones) is suppressed. Therefore, such patients are prescribed antidepressants, and panic attacks are relieved with tranquilizers. Once anxiety and stress levels are reduced, you can begin psychotherapy.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy shows good results. In the course of treatment, the patient, together with the therapist, pronounces the main symptoms, understands their root causes, and with the help of simple exercises, changes the stable response algorithm. Therapy can be group or individual. For some, 5–10 sessions are enough, for someone more. It all depends on the severity of the stress, the age of the injury, the age in which it was received.
Desensitization and processing of information with the help of eye movement — Another effective method, psychotherapy, can help with PTSD. The patient is brought back to the traumatic memories (in an associative way, with gentle questions). At the same time, he is asked to follow the movement of the therapist's hands. This is repeated several times until the sharpness of the memories is reduced.
The key to successful treatment is the patient's awareness of the problem. Many can't admit to themselves that they couldn't survive the traumatic event, didn't cope with the mental pain. Such people consider themselves weaklings, worry about this and become even more isolated. Whereas defeating PTSD is much easier in the early stages. Modern medicine has effective and safe cures, and people suffering from PTSD can return to normal life. The main thing is to want.
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