Psychological Disorders

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

- Introduction
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing a terrifying event or deal. Examples include natural disasters, serious accidents, or physical and sexual assault in adult or childhood. In such adverse circumstances, it is natural to feel afraid because the fear triggers a "flight or fight" response in the body that would allow us to cope with it. Unfortunately, in PTSD, this adaptive response is altered or damaged. Hence, people with PTSD may feel severe anxiety or frightened even when they are no longer in danger.

- Symptons
People with PTSD usually experience a cluster of 3 symptoms. Firstly, they re-experience the event through frightening memories and nightmares. In such cases, victims are said to be experiencing flashbacks and they may feel, or even act as though the traumatic event is happening again. More often than not, ordinary events and cues can serve as vivid reminders of the trauma and trigger the flashbacks. Secondly, they display a characteristic avoidance or numbing of emotional responsiveness, which are likely to be disruptive to healthy interpersonal relations: the victim might eventually stay away from places or people that remind him or her of the trauma, leading to social isolation and detachment. Thirdly, the victims also experience hyper-arousal symptoms. They are chronically tense or "on edge", easily startled and quick to anger. These conditions make it very difficult for the patients to do daily tasks as concentration becomes impaired.

- Risk Factors and Causes
Unlike many other mood disorders, the causation of PTSD is a relatively straightforward case: It develops in response to a traumatic event. However, not every who experiences such traumas would inevitably develop PTSD; other factors are have been found to increase the risk.

• Experiencing difficulties prior to experiencing the traumatic event
• Family history of psychological problems
• The severity of the threat
• The amount of social support that one receives after experiencing the traumatic event
• The person's emotional response at the time of the event

- Treatment
PTSD is best treated with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Under the guidance of a trained therapist, victims will face the original trauma and learn to develop adaptive coping styles. Known as Exposure Therapy, patients use mental imagery, writing, or visits to the places where the event happened. Cognitive therapy to correct negative assumptions about the traumas, such as blaming oneself in some way is often effective as part of the treatment. In addition, medicines can complement the beneficial effects of psychotherapy. Antidepressants such as sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) are also prescribed to alleviate symptoms such as sadness and excessive anxiety.