The Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental illness that maydevelop in people after a horrible experience. This is a big reaction to extremestress. There are many causes, symptoms, and treatments for the post-traumaticstress disorder.
There are many causes this disorder has, and this includes:coming out of war, being raped, or attacked, child abuse, natural disasters, caraccidents, and even people who witness traumatic events could develop thisdisorder. A person who has experienced a bad traumatic event has a better chanceof developing this disorder than a person who experienced a less traumatic eventdevelops. This works the same way with people who witness something horrible. Some people also have biological or psychological problems that make them morelikely to develop this disorder. Or having anxiety disorders in their familiesthat may have inherited genetics to react more severely to stress and traumathan other people.
Persons early childhood experiences that made them feel thatevents are uncontrollable have a greater chance of getting this disorder. Somepeople are kind of like protected from this disorder by having a strong socialnetwork with their friends and family. In war veterans they call this disordershell shock or combat fatigue. People with this disorder ?relive¦the event again and again though nightmares and memories during the day. Theywill sometimes have flashbacks where they will fall into their own world andrelive images, and sounds from the trauma.
Because of their extreme anxiety anddistress from the event, they will try to avoid anything that would happen toremind them of it. They may seem emotionally numb, detached, irritable, andeasily startled. They may feel guilty about surviving a traumatic event thatkilled other people because they now think that they should have done something. Other symptoms include trouble concentrating, depression, and sleepdifficulties.
Symptoms of the disorder usually begin shortly after the traumaticevent, but some people may not show symptoms for several years. If leftuntreated, the disorder can last for years. Post-traumatic stress disorder canruin someone-s life. The emotional pain of reliving the trauma, thesymptoms of the disorder may cause a person to think that he or she is?going crazy. ¦ People with this disorder may have angry outbursts atfamily members.
At other times, they may seem to have no affection for theirloved ones. Some people try to mask their symptoms by abusing alcohol or drugs. Others work very long hours to prevent any down periods when they might relivethe trauma. Such actions may delay the onset of the disorder until theseindividuals retire or become sober. Treatment of post-traumatic stress disordermay involve psychotherapy, psychoactive drugs, or both. Psychotherapists helpindividuals confront the traumatic experience, work through their strongnegative emotions, and overcome their symptoms.
Many people with post-traumaticstress disorder benefit from group therapy with other individuals suffering fromthe disorder. Physicians may prescribe antidepressants or anxiety-reducing drugsto treat the mood disturbances that sometimes accompany the disorder. Studieshave found from 1 to 14 percent of people suffer from post-traumatic stressdisorder at some point during their lives. The findings vary widely due todifferences in the populations studied and the research methods used.
Amongpeople who have survived traumatic events, the prevalence appears to be muchhigher. The disorder may be particularly prevalent among people who have servedin combat. For example, one study of veterans of the Vietnam War found thatveterans exposed to a high level of combat were nine times more likely to havepost-traumatic stress disorder than military personnel who did not serve in thewar zone of Southeast Asia. In conclusion, the post-traumatic stress disorder isan extreme illness that has many causes, symptoms and treatments.
