Medical and Psychological Understanding

Understanding PTSD | Volunteers of AmericaPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may arise when people experience a traumatic event such as death, threatened death, serious injury, or actual or threatened violence.

Throughout the years, the vocabulary in which we have described the mental disorder has varied from Shell Shock to PTSD itself, scientists have concluded that symptoms of PTSD can include emotional outbursts, with extreme violent outbreaks or violence, PTSD can often cause physical harm in which is why more than 20 veterans a day commit suicide. Our understanding has grown, and PTSD is now more socially acceptable than it was of just 30 years ago.

Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderIf you have gone through a traumatic experience, it is normal to feel lots of emotions, such as distress, fear, helplessness, guilt, shame or anger. You may start to feel better after days or weeks, but sometimes, these feelings don’t go away. If the symptoms last for more than a month, you may have post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

PTSD was never a large problem suffered by soldiers, until the Vietnam war, where about 60% of soldiers suffered from some level of PTSD, and society realized it as being one of the most difficult problems that we would ever have to face.

Physical Understanding of PTSD: in reports of childhood abuse and neglect, physicians have found that some disorders such as cancer, ischemic heart disease and chronic lung disease may form from the stress caused by PTSD. It also has been found that women are more vulnerable to higher health care costs than men when neglected as a child. In general, PTSD can cause neurochemical changes that can create a vulnerability to heart disease and hypertension that associates with cardiovascular disorders, and abnormalities in thyroid and other hormone functions. PTSD also affects decisions made by the victim, and the chemicals released can cause people to make poor decisions such as smoking, substance abuse, bad diet, and lack of exercise.

Medical Understanding of PTSD:

Society now understands that anyone can fall victim to PTSD, for example, anyone who has been exposed to a life-threatening situation, survivors of dangerous events, combat veterans, children who have been abused and death of a loved one. Constant symptoms experienced by victims is the Repeated thinking about the trauma, unable to rest, being constantly alert, mistrust, panic attacks, etc. Relationships can be difficult among people with PTSD, as feeling close to others may feel impossible. It is also possible that one may experience a negative self image, or guilt of living. Researches have found that PTSD can be treated with success. Psychotherapy such as exposure therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy and Psychodynamic psychotherapy, medicines such as SSRIs and support groups are all successful in treating the symptoms of PTSD. We have also gained a better understanding of what those who suffer from this disorder, face on a daily basis, so we know how to help loved ones with PTSD. It is always advised to contact a professional, family counseling, or even contacting Mental Health America, who affiliates themselves with specialized-PTSD centers all around the USA.

About UsAbout Mental Health America

Works Cited:

-Matt Baldwin

Report abuse