What
is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
What
are the symptoms of this disorder?
What
treatments are available for PTSD?
I am
an American Veteran. Who should I contact for
help with PTSD?
Is
this a “new” disorder?
Is
this disorder found only in war veterans?
How
is PTSD assessed?
How
common is PTSD?
What
events are likely to trigger PTSD?
Who
is most likely to develop PTSD?
How
is PTSD treated?
How
long does recovery take?
If I
think I may be suffering from this disorder,
what should I do?
When
should I seek professional help?
What is Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder?
Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is a psychiatric
disorder that usually occurs following the
experience or witnessing of a life-threatening
event. Events may include military combat,
natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious
accidents, abuse or violent personal assaults.
PTSD can be a debilitating and lifelong
condition, which has no cure.
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What are the symptoms of this
disorder?
Most victims will show symptoms immediately
following the event that triggers the disorder,
yet still others may not exhibit any signs or
symptoms for months or years later. Symptoms can
persist for a lifetime and may include:
- Nightmares
and flashbacks
- Difficulty
sleeping
- Feelings of
detachment or estrangement
- Inability
to function in everyday social or family life
- Marital
problems and difficulties in parenting
- Depression
- Being
easily startled
- Loss of
interest in things they used to enjoy
- Difficulty
being affectionate
-
Irritability
- Aggressive
or even violent
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What treatments are available for
PTSD?
Most treatment programs include education,
exposure, exploration of feelings and beliefs,
coping skills training, cognitive-behavioral
treatment, pharmacotherapy, group treatment, and
psychodynamic treatment. These treatments can
help a patient better cope with their symptoms,
but there is currently no cure for this
disorder.
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I am an American Veteran. Who should
I contact for help with PTSD?
You should contact your local VA
Hospital or VA center. These will have further
resources available for you.
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Is this a “new” disorder?
No, it is not a new disorder. There is clear
evidence of this disorder shown in Civil War,
World War II and Holocaust survivors. Detailed
research and documentation, however, did not
begin until after the Vietnam War.
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Is this disorder found only in war
veterans?
No. It was once thought that PTSD was limited to
direct victims of war, but it is now known that
even witnesses of any traumatic event can suffer
PTSD. It occurs in men, women, adults, children,
Western and non-Western cultural groups, and all
socioeconomic strata.
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How is PTSD assessed?
Generally it is assessed through structured
interviews and questionnaires with physiological
assessments. A multi-method approach is
necessary to help address concerns that some
patients might be denying or exaggerating their
symptoms.
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How common is PTSD?
An estimated 3-10 percent of Americans will
experience PTSD at some point in their lives,
with women being twice as likely as men to
develop PTSD.
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What events are likely to trigger
PTSD?
The traumatic events most often associated with
PTSD for men are rape, combat exposure,
childhood neglect, and childhood physical abuse.
The most traumatic events for women are rape,
sexual molestation, physical attack, being
threatened with a weapon, and childhood physical
abuse.
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Who is most likely to develop PTSD?
Not everyone who survives a traumatic event will
develop PTSD. Different people handle these
events in different ways. Some can just shake it
off with little or no apparent effects, while
others will develop the full-blown syndrome with
all its symptoms. It is estimated that about 8
percent of men and 20 percent of women go on to
develop PTSD after a traumatic event and roughly
30 percent of these individuals develop a
chronic form that persists throughout their
lifetimes.
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How is PTSD treated?
PTSD is treated with a variety of forms of
psychotherapy and drug therapy. There is no
definitive treatment, and no cure, but some
treatments appear to be quite helpful,
especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, group
therapy, and exposure therapy.
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How long does recovery take?
Some people recover within 6 months while
others experience symptoms that last the rest of
their lives. More complicated still,
occasionally, the symptoms will not show up
until years after the traumatic event. Factors
that tend to affect the length of time required
for recovery include the degree of intensity and
loss and the person’s general ability to cope
with emotionally challenging situations.
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If I think I may be suffering from
this disorder, what should I do?
There are a number of steps you can take to
help restore emotional well being and a sense of
control following a traumatic event. These
include the following:
- Give
yourself time to heal
- Ask for
support from people who care about you
- Communicate
your experience in whatever ways feel
comfortable to you, such as talking with
friends or keeping a diary
- Find out a
local support groups
- Engage in
healthy behaviors that will enhance your
ability to cope with excessive stress, such as
eating healthy, getting plenty of rest and
exercising
- Avoid
alcohol and drugs
-
Re-establish your regular daily routines
- Avoid major
life decisions such as moving
Become
knowledgeable about what to expect as a result
of trauma
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When should I seek professional
help?
Individuals with prolonged reactions that
disrupt their daily lives should consult with a
trained mental health professional. With
children, continued emotional outbursts, serious
problems at school, preoccupation with the
traumatic event, withdrawal, and other signs of
intense anxiety all point to the need for
professional assistance. A qualified mental
health professional can help such children and
their parents understand and deal with the
thoughts, feelings and behaviors that result
from trauma.
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