What is PTSD

What is PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)?

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or pTSD, is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of a life-threatening events like military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious injuries, or sexual or physical assault in adult or youth. Most survivors of trauma return to standard given a little time. Yet, some people will have anxiety responses which don't go away on their own, or might get worse over time. These individuals may develop PTSD. People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms could be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person's daily life.

Individuals with PTSD experience three different types of symptoms. The first group of symptoms calls for reliving the trauma in some way for example becoming distressed when faced with a traumatic reminder or thinking about the trauma when you're trying to do something different. The 2nd group of symptoms includes isolating from others, either staying away from places or people that remind you of the trauma, or feeling numb. The third group of symptoms includes matters for example feeling on guard, irritable, or startling easily.

PTSD is marked by clear biological changes in addition to psychological symptoms. PTSD is complicated by the fact that people who have PTSD frequently may develop additional disorders including depression, substance abuse, problems of cognition and memory, and other problems of physical and mental health. The disorder is also associated with damage of the individual's capability to work in social or family life, including occupational instability, marital problems and divorces, family discord, and difficulties in parenting.

PTSD could be medicated with psychotherapy ('talk' treatment) and medications such as antidepressants. Early treatment is important and could help reduce long-term symptoms. Alas, many people don't know they have PTSD or do not seek treatment. This fact sheet can help you to better understand the and PTSD how it can be treated.

Do you know the symptoms of PTSD?

PTSD is not diagnosed unless the symptoms last for at least one month, and either cause significant distress or interfere with work or home life although PTSD symptoms can begin after a disturbing occurrence. To be able to be diagnosed with PTSD, someone must have three various kinds of symptoms: re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance and numbing symptoms, and arousal symptoms.

Re experiencing Symptoms

Re-experiencing symptoms are symptoms that include reliving the traumatic occurrence. There are a number of ways in which folks may relive a trauma. They may have disturbing memories of the traumatic event. These memories can come back when they're not anticipating them. At other times the memories might be triggered by a traumatic reminder like when a combat veteran hears a car backfire, an automobile accident victim drives by a rape victim or an automobile accident sees a news report of a recent sexual assault. These memories can cause both psychological as well as physical reactions. Sometimes these memories can feel so real it's as if the event is truly occurring again. This is known as a "flashback." Reliving the event may cause intense feelings of fear, helplessness, and horror much like the feelings they had when the event took place.

Avoidance and Numbing Symptoms

Avoidance symptoms are attempts people make to stay away from the traumatic event. Individuals with PTSD may attempt to avoid situations that trigger memories of the traumatic event. They PTSD group may avoid going near places where the injury happened or seeing TV programs or news reports about occasions that are similar. They may avoid other sights, sounds, odors, or people that are reminders of the traumatic occurrence. Some people find that they attempt to distract themselves as one way to avoid considering the traumatic occurrence.

Numbing symptoms are another method to prevent the traumatic event. People with PTSD may find it challenging to be in touch with their feelings or express emotions toward others. For example, they may feel emotionally "numb" and may isolate from others. They may be less interested in activities you once loved. Some people are unable to talk about, or forget, significant portions of the event. Some believe that they can have a shortened life span or WOn't accomplish personal goals such as having family or a career.

Arousal Symptoms

People with PTSD may feel constantly attentive after the traumatic event. This is known as increased emotional arousal, also it can cause difficulty concentrating, outbursts of anger or irritability, and difficulty sleeping. They may discover that they are constantly 'on guard' and on the lookout for indications of risk. They might also discover that they get startled.

What other issues do people with PTSD experience?

It is very common for other states to occur along with PTSD, including depression, anxiety, or substance abuse. More than half of men with PTSD also have difficulties with alcohol. The following most common co-occurring problems in men are melancholy, followed then, and by conduct disorder difficulties with drugs. In women, the most typical co-occurring problem is melancholy. Just under half of women with PTSD also experience depression. The next most common co-occurring issues in girls are particular anxieties, social anxiety, and then issues with alcohol.

People with PTSD often have problems operating. In general, individuals with PTSD have more unemployment, divorce or separation, spouse abuse and prospect of being fired than individuals without PTSD. Vietnam veterans with PTSD were found to have many problems with family and other interpersonal relationships, problems with employment, and increased episodes of violence.

Individuals with PTSD also may experience a wide selection of physical symptoms. This really is a familiar event in those who have depression and other anxiety disorders. Some evidence indicates that PTSD may be associated with increased chance of developing medical ailments. Research is ongoing, and it is too soon to draw strong conclusions about which illnesses are associated with PTSD.

How common is PTSD?

An estimated 7.8 percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives, with women (10.4%) twice as likely as men (5%) to develop PTSD. About 3.6 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 to 54 (5.2 million people) have PTSD during the course of a specified year. This represents a small portion of individuals that have experienced at least one traumatic event; 60.7% of men and 51.2% of women reported at least one traumatic event. The traumatic events usually associated with PTSD for men are rape, combat exposure, childhood neglect, and childhood physical abuse. The most traumatic events for women are rape, sexual molestation, physical attack, being threatened with a weapon, and childhood physical abuse.

About 30 percent of women and the men that have spent time in war zones experience PTSD. An added 20 to 25 percent have had partial PTSD at a certain time within their lives. More than half of all male Vietnam veterans and almost half of all female Vietnam veterans have experienced "clinically serious stress reaction symptoms." PTSD has also been detected among veterans of other wars. Approximations of PTSD from the Gulf War are not as low as 10%. Estimates from the war in Afghanistan are between 6 and 11%. Current estimates of PTSD in military personnel who served in Iraq range from 12% to 20%.