It seems that everybody has some kind of stress that they’re
dealing with. Whether it’s school, work, or your kids everyone has
something. A few months ago I was
in a small car accident. I was waiting at a red light when I saw the car behind
me going much faster than I would have liked, the reason for this was, I later
found out, that his breaks had given out and he was going to crash into
whatever was in front of him. Which happened to be me. The next day, while
driving, I was terrified that for some reason it would happen again. Whenever I
was waiting at a red light and I would see a car coming behind me I would drive
just a couple inches forward, for if he did hit me it wouldn’t be as bad. I
know that sounds crazy but that was the logic I used. This went on for a couple
more days, but it soon died out and I was back to driving normally.
I know this incident isn’t as big as I made it out to be,
but just imagine it being much greater and not being able to get over it in a
matter of days. Imagine if it took you many years to get over a single moment.
Well my fellow readers; that is what I’m going to talk about. Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD
for short, occurs in people who have endured terrifying experiences, such as a
life-threatening attack, or an incredible accident. This happens a lot with
soldiers after the war. They suddenly wake up in a cold sweat after having
terrible nightmares of what they experienced while they were in war. Symptoms
of PTSD are lumped into three main categories, including:
1. Reliving: People with PTSD repeatedly relive the ordeal
through thoughts and memories of the trauma. These include flashbacks,
hallucinations, and nightmares. They may also feel great distress when certain
things remind them of the trauma.
2. Avoiding: The person may avoid people, places, thoughts,
or situations that may remind him or her of the trauma. This can lead to
feelings of detachment and isolation from friends and family.
3. Increased arousal: These include excessive emotions;
problems relating to others, including feeling or showing affection; difficulty
falling asleep or staying asleep; and being “jumpy”. There may also be physical
symptoms, such as nausea, muscle tension, rapid breathing, and diarrhea.
Not everybody who witnesses a trauma will develop PTSD. The
type of support a person receives from family and friends may influence the
development or the severity of the symptoms. An estimated 7.8 million Americans
will experience some form of PTSD at some point in their lives. About 3.6% or
adult Americans suffer from PTSD during the course of a year. Personally, I
think the best treatment for PTSD is psychotherapy. This involves the person
learning skills to manage symptoms and develop ways of coping, and also helps
the person work through the fears associated with the traumatic event. There
are a variety of psychotherapy approaches that are used to treat people with
PTSD, all of which work very well.
This video is so great and shows exactly what I mentioned about this happening mostly with soldiers.
Very good post! This has got to be one of the disorders that needs more attention. The men and women who serve our country deserve the absolute best treatment.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that has made me wonder about the disorder is whether or not it ever truly goes away. A close friend of mine did 2 tours in Iraq with the Marines and is now getting ready to finish his history degree at UTPA, but he was told that due to his PTSD he would not be allowed to be a teacher. When he told me this I felt horrible, not only did he put his life on the line but now he can't even go into the profession that he wants.
Growing up with a father who served in the Army for 20 years and was even in the Pentagon when it got hit got me interested in PTSD at an early age because it was something I worried time and time again that my father would develop. Luckily my father doesn't have PTSD, but he still has those occasional dreams of losing his friends, the smell of smoke, and the shaking of the building. I remember him telling me this with tears in his eyes and I'll be honest it hurt me to see my "superman" break down.
ReplyDeleteAs Noel mentioned PTSD is something that definitely needs more attention. Not only by families but by the soldiers themselves. Like the guy in the video who said "I saw a chart with all the symptoms", some men and women might not know what they are experiencing. These men and women that risk their lives so that we can blog, vote, and be free do deserve the "best treatment". Leaving your family behind and serving so how ever many years and then suddenly returning and feeling detached and reliving these memories over and over again can be decremental to themselves and their loved ones and can destroy families, career dreams (like the comment above me mentioned), and basically put the person through a living hell.
IF you know someone with PTSD or have PTSD seek help. There are other people with the same disorder.
All in all, great blog!