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Source: BestMastersinCounseling.com

What is PTSD?

Post traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition triggered by a traumatic event. It can include symptoms such as nightmares, extreme anxiety and flashbacks.

Other names for PTSD (throughout history)

● Nostalgia

● Estar Roto – Spanish for “to be broken”

● Soldier’s Heart

What can cause PTSD:

● Combat exposure

● Childhood sexual or physical abuse

● Natural disasters (fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake)

● Sexual or physical assault

● Serious accidents (car wreck, plane crash)

● Terrorist attack

Whether or not you get PTSD depends on a few factors:

● Intensity of the trauma

● Length of the trauma

● Degree of personal injury

● Proximity to event

● Individual control of the events

● Amount of help and support obtained after the trauma

After going through a trauma, most people will show some symptoms of PTSD at first. Only some develop PTSD over time.

● It is unknown why some people develop PTSD while others do not

There are 4 types of PTSD symptoms:

● Reliving the event

○ Bad memories or nightmares

○ Feeling like you’re going through the trauma all over again

○ Flashbacks

● Avoiding situations that remind you of the event

○ Avoiding situations or people that trigger memories of the trauma

○ Avoiding talking or thinking about the trauma

● Negative changes in beliefs and feelings

○ A change in the way you think about yourself or others

○ Feelings of fear, guilt or shame

○ Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy

● Hyperarousal

○ Being jittery or always alert

○ Always on the lookout for danger

○ Trouble sleeping or concentrating

People with PTSD may also suffer from other problems:

● Feelings of hopelessness, shame, or despair

● Depression or anxiety

● Drinking or drug problems

● Chronic pain

● Employment problems

● Relationship problems

How many people are living with PTSD?

● It is estimated that 7.8% of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives

○ 10.4% of women

○ 5% of men

● About 3.6% of US adults (18-54) [5.2 million people] have PTSD during the course of one year

● 60.7% of men and 51.2% of women have reported at least one traumatic event in their lives

● The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that since 9/11, 30% of treated veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with PTSD

○ Less than 40% seek help

In June 2012, the number of suicides among active duty soldiers surpassed the number of combat deaths for the year.

● 154 suicides; 124 combat deaths in Afghanistan

○ That’s a rate of one suicide almost every day

Treatment:

● PTSD is treated with psychotherapy and medication

○ Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

■ Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) – Patient learns skills to understand how trauma has changed his or her thoughts and feelings

■ Prolonged Exposure therapy (PE) – Patient talks about his or her trauma repeatedly until the memories are no longer upsetting

● Patient also goes to places that are safe, but that they have been avoiding because they are related to the trauma

○ Medication

■ An antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is effective for PTSD

■ The medication Prazosin has been found to be helpful in decreasing nightmares

Recognize the signs of PTSD

● National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

● Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-TALK (8255), PRESS 1

Sources:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/basics/definition/CON-20022540

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm

http://www.ptsd.va.gov

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/21/nearly-30-of-vets-treated-by-v-a-have-ptsd.html

http://ptsdusa.org/what-is-ptsd/the-statistics/

http://www.frumforum.com/from-shell-shock-to-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/

http://io9.com/5898560/from-irritable-heart-to-shellshock-how-post+traumatic-stress-became-a-disease

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704913304575371130876271708

http://www.ptsd.ne.gov/what-is-ptsd.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/09/us/suicides-eclipse-war-deaths-for-us-troops.html?_r=0