Post Traumatic Stress Disorder essays

Definition and Background

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is defined when an individual goes through a traumatic experience more than once and continues to have flashbacks and re-experiences the traumatic event. The disorder is time based. This means that most people experience tough times after a traumatic event however, people with PTSD continue to have a tough time months or even years later. This can happen from anytime as soon as a month and as late as a few years later after a traumatic event. When this occurs there may be emotional numbness and avoidance of certain places that remind the person of the event. This avoidance may also apply to certain activities and people who were involved.

PTSD affects about 7.7 million adults a year and can also affect children. In 1980, PTSD was found to be a mental health disorder that could be diagnosed and was added to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Before this time, people who suffered from this unknown disease were rejected and feared by people because they did not know what was wrong with them (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). Now, that there is a name and treatment plans for this disease people who have PTSD are much more accepted by the public.

Causes & Symptoms

When someone with PTSD is diagnosed it is usually because they have experienced an event that they have had a hard time overcoming. Some of the causes of PTSD are men returning from war, stressful life experiences, inherited stress and depression. Other experiences that could lead to PTSD include sexual abuse or witnessing a life threatening event. Ultimately it is from the way that your brain regulates the chemicals and hormones that your body releases in response to stress that one is put through. After an experience of PTSD some may have a hard time doing regular tasks. They may struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night or once asleep they may have nightmares or night terrors. Some people may not want to leave their home and have fear that they may have an episode and be frightened out in public so they avoid certain places or people. Also, they may have different thoughts and moods during the day. They struggle to concentrate and often cannot remember details of the traumatic event. One may be more likely to isolate themselves and lean toward binge eating and or self harm.

Many of the people who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder often suffer from substance abuse. Research shows that 50%-60% of the people who have PTSD go on to abuse substances such as drugs and alcohol. The people who do use drugs do this because they have a temporary difficulty adjusting and coping with the situation. These people are also two or three times more likely to use drugs than their peers. Usually the more harsh of an experience the better chance that person has to turn to drugs to cope with the past.

Treatment

There are many treatments available for PTSD. Some have more research behind them that prove to be more effective. These treatment options are: Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and medications that are used to treat depression (PTSD Treatment Basics, 2018). These treatments help people focus on the traumatic event to get over their fear. There is not one treatment that is right for all people. Treatment for PTSD depends on the individual person. Scientists are also looking at how they can be more proactive in treating PTSD and researching methods to help stop the symptoms right after a traumatic experience instead of waiting until PTSD is present (PTSD Treatment Basics, 2018).

Many of the people with PTSD do not choose to go and get professional help. Instead they will decide to turn to opioids and other sorts of drugs. However, the ones who do decide to get help are able to recover from this most of the time. These people are prescribed sertraline, fluoxetine, and venlafaxine. These medications have different effects on every user. Sometimes people have good reactions and are able to continue to use the medication repeatedly. Nevertheless, there are people who react to the medication in a way that make the disorder more prevalent and they need to find another alternative to cope.

There are also different ways other than medications to suppress PTSD. Many people want to avoid medication and have other options. Some of the ways to handle it is to learn skills that will address a specific situation and the way it affects them. Then it also helps to boost one’s own self esteem and the way one will look at the world and try and seek the positive in things. It is also important to be able to cope with any situation that may arise and be possibly dangerous. This is important because if people lack these skills then they will most likely turn to drugs. Finally, it is very important to address any problems that someone may already have with abuse and any other traumatic experiences. These may be things such as depression and anxiety and substance abuse.

Argument

In my opinion the psychological disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has had a lot of research done but I am not confident that it is enough research. I believe that because it is based on how people behave and the amount of time people are given to recover from a traumatic event. Who is to say what is a normal time to recover and that if a person is still having a hard time a month later that it is really PTSD? I do think that there are medications that are being used to treat the disease successfully. However, I do think that there are people out there that are not receiving the proper treatment. There is always different things to be found out about something or someone and the way that they work. Which is why I do think that there is more research that could and would be done. Some people have found the correct treatment while others have not and are still suffering the effects. I think that those who have found what works for them should speak out to be able to help the people who are still searching for the solution.