Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition. It is a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury, severe psychological shock (e.g. an accident, war, rape etc.) or prolonged traumatic shock. The injury or shock can either be witnessed or experienced.
CAUSES OF PTSD
The exact cause of PTSD is unknown. Below are some of the common causes of the disorder:
- A traumatic event – such as death of a loved one, sexual or physical assault, an accident, a natural disaster, or war.
- A serious medical condition – may include injury, impairment or require in-patient care, hospice, residential medical facility or continued health care provider supervision.
NB: not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD. There are however factors that predispose one to develop the disorder.
PTSD RISK FACTORS
Genetics – having a family history of depression and anxiety. Research has found that PTSD shares many genetic influences common to other psychiatric disorders.
Childhood trauma – a history of experiencing traumatic events such as child abuse. Among the adverse mental health consequences of childhood trauma is the risk related to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adulthood.
A history of mental illness – Having been previously diagnosed with a mental condition such as depression or anxiety.
Substance abuse – substance abuse such as excessive drinking or drug use is one among the predisposing factors of PTSD.
Symptoms are grouped into different categories. The symptoms may include:
Reliving the trauma – this includes flashbacks, hallucinations, nightmares of the incident.
Avoidant behaviour – avoiding people, places, things, or memories that remind one of the trauma. This may impair day to day functioning.
Excessive arousal – an individual can be aroused easily including increased alertness, anger, fits of rage, irritability, or hatred, difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
Recurring thought patterns – Intrusive negative distressing thoughts or feelings such as guilt.
Flat effect – this usually occurs in young children where they may show delays in toilet training, motor skills, or language.
PTSD treatment
PTSD can be treated using medication/ pharmacological interventions. These are prescribed by a medical specialist. It is also treated through psychotherapy or talk therapies including cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy and psychodynamic therapy. It is important to note that treatment works best when one engages in both pharmacology and psychotherapy interventions.
