It was never a new thing, it just went under more than eighty aliases over the years. At one time it was known as nostalgia and homesickness, in another time it was referred to as shell shock and irritable heart. Yet no matter the moniker, the disorder is real, and is present in human beings who have been subjected to hurt, danger, and extreme situations.
In 1980, PTSD officially entered the psychology jargon and mainstream vocabulary. As the term was coined, so are many interventions and therapies, and today, patients can have the convenience of getting telepsychiatry for post-traumatic stress disorder. But in order to prevent such disorder, one must understand how it is caused and what are the warning signs.
Getting hurt firsthand is the first factor to consider if someone is at risk. Being a witness to a horrible, scary event, and living through a dangerous disaster are also part of the criteria. Having feelings of helplessness, experiencing extreme anxiety and fear, and having minimal social support after the traumatic situation will further increase the risk. Resiliency factors consist of having a coping strategy when faced with danger, being able to effectively react and respond to danger, and having enough social support.
Genes also have a role in PTSD the same way they have in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. A protein called stathmin which is present in genes are responsible in the creation of fear memories. Studies show that laboratory mice who lack stathmin are less panicky than their stathmin filled counterparts.
Being psychologically healthy also depends on how your brain functions. Persons who are prone to PTSD have underdeveloped or impaired amygdalas and prefrontal complexes. The amygdala is responsible for evoking emotions, learning, and recall when something happens, while the prefrontal cortex handles our ability to solve problems and judging situations. Understanding how our brain and genes betray some of us will be a vital part in pointing out who is at risk for the syndrome.
Diagnosis requires one re experiencing symptom, two hyperarousal and three avoidance symptoms. Re experiencing symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, and scary thoughts may affect the person daily, such that it would drastically intervene in the life of the afflicted. Objects, words, and certain situations may trigger these symptoms.
Three avoidance symptoms are needed to be diagnosed. The signs include staying away from anything that reminds the individual of the experience, even to the point of losing interest in their previous hobbies. For example, traumatized rape victims may not want to have sex anymore even with their loving partner.
Hyperarousal signs consists of feeling agitated, tense, restless, and being easily startled. Patients would sometimes have outbursts and would have trouble sleeping, eventually leading to insomnia. These signs do not need triggers, but are consistent all throughout the routine of the person who has PTSD. Although these are normal responses after a violent, terrible, or dangerous event, acute stress disorder is different from PTSD.
When a person has passed the criteria and has been diagnosed, CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy is often used as an intervention. Medical treatments consist of paroxetine and sertraline, the only approved drugs for PTSD. In the event that there is a known catastrophe, it is important to have the victims undergo critical incident stress debriefing as soon as possible to prevent the onset of PTSD.
In 1980, PTSD officially entered the psychology jargon and mainstream vocabulary. As the term was coined, so are many interventions and therapies, and today, patients can have the convenience of getting telepsychiatry for post-traumatic stress disorder. But in order to prevent such disorder, one must understand how it is caused and what are the warning signs.
Getting hurt firsthand is the first factor to consider if someone is at risk. Being a witness to a horrible, scary event, and living through a dangerous disaster are also part of the criteria. Having feelings of helplessness, experiencing extreme anxiety and fear, and having minimal social support after the traumatic situation will further increase the risk. Resiliency factors consist of having a coping strategy when faced with danger, being able to effectively react and respond to danger, and having enough social support.
Genes also have a role in PTSD the same way they have in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. A protein called stathmin which is present in genes are responsible in the creation of fear memories. Studies show that laboratory mice who lack stathmin are less panicky than their stathmin filled counterparts.
Being psychologically healthy also depends on how your brain functions. Persons who are prone to PTSD have underdeveloped or impaired amygdalas and prefrontal complexes. The amygdala is responsible for evoking emotions, learning, and recall when something happens, while the prefrontal cortex handles our ability to solve problems and judging situations. Understanding how our brain and genes betray some of us will be a vital part in pointing out who is at risk for the syndrome.
Diagnosis requires one re experiencing symptom, two hyperarousal and three avoidance symptoms. Re experiencing symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, and scary thoughts may affect the person daily, such that it would drastically intervene in the life of the afflicted. Objects, words, and certain situations may trigger these symptoms.
Three avoidance symptoms are needed to be diagnosed. The signs include staying away from anything that reminds the individual of the experience, even to the point of losing interest in their previous hobbies. For example, traumatized rape victims may not want to have sex anymore even with their loving partner.
Hyperarousal signs consists of feeling agitated, tense, restless, and being easily startled. Patients would sometimes have outbursts and would have trouble sleeping, eventually leading to insomnia. These signs do not need triggers, but are consistent all throughout the routine of the person who has PTSD. Although these are normal responses after a violent, terrible, or dangerous event, acute stress disorder is different from PTSD.
When a person has passed the criteria and has been diagnosed, CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy is often used as an intervention. Medical treatments consist of paroxetine and sertraline, the only approved drugs for PTSD. In the event that there is a known catastrophe, it is important to have the victims undergo critical incident stress debriefing as soon as possible to prevent the onset of PTSD.
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