PTSD or Post-traumatic Disorder is a serious condition that occurs after a traumatic incident where there was physical harm or threat. It is normal for a person to become distressed after encountering such episodes. However, if they persist to have intense fear, nightmares, and intrusive memories that interfere with their normal function, they could be experiencing PTSD. Some examples that could bring about PTSD include sexual or physical assault, the death of a loved one, or a major accident.
Symptoms usually occur immediately or within 3 months after the traumatic event. In rare cases, it may only show years after the incident. Shock, anger, and fear are all common reactions to most people. But for those suffering from the disorder, these feelings persist and exacerbate over time. In general, the symptoms are categorized as below:
Not everyone who experiences a traumatic incident will have PTSD. Everyone’s ability to cope with stress differs. A person is diagnosed with PTSD if they have at least one symptom of reliving the trauma and a couple of symptoms from the other two categories. It is also only diagnosed after a month of the traumatic event.
Treatment for PTSD is a combination of medication and psychotherapy, the latter being the primary treatment. Psychotherapy will help the individual identify their thought patterns and learn to gradually manage and change them. Types of psychotherapy commonly used to treat PTSD include Cognitive-behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy, and Eye-movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. Recovery is gradual. Most treated patients are able to manage their feelings related to the trauma and function normally.
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