What is PTSD?

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a condition in which the normal fear or anxiety that is triggered by a traumatic event continues to affect a person long after the event that caused it.

Although in some cases, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in survivors of traumas such as war, rape or natural disasters, not all “traumatic” events are clinically defined as traumas. The death of a loved one, or difficulties resulting from an illness, may lead a person to develop PTSD.

When a traumatic incident is happening, it is natural and even helpful for the body to experience a “fight or flight” reaction, to enable the person to protect themselves. People with PTSD, however, continue to re-experience the anxiety and fear associated with the trauma on an ongoing basis, when it is no longer useful.

According to research, a part of the brain called the amygdala may be involved in teaching a person to fear certain situations associated with the trauma. Not everyone who experiences a trauma will develop PTSD. Genetic differences in peoples’ brains may make some people more predisposed to developing PTSD than others. A person is diagnosed with PTSD when they continue to experience ongoing signs of trauma for at least 1 month after the traumatic event.

Symptoms of PTSD often involve “reliving” the trauma through memories or physical symptoms. People with PTSD may display strong emotional reactions. In some cases, however, sufferers of PTSD shut down emotionally, and they may display symptoms associated with avoiding memories of the traumatic event.

Some symptoms include:

flashbacks of the event, which may include physical symptoms such as sweating, rapid heartbeat and breathing difficulties
physical symptoms triggered by situations that in some way resemble or represent the trauma
trouble remembering some aspects of the traumatic event
decreased interest in activities due to fear associated with the trauma
feeling “numb” or suppressing emotions
feelings of guilt, worry or sadness
insomnia
outbursts of anger

PTSD usually is treated with medication, psychotherapy, or both. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common psychotherapy method for treating PTSD that involves processing the trauma and learning to change the unhealthy reactions to the trauma.

Three types of CBT are frequently used for PTSD; these include exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, and stress inoculation therapy. In addition, some PTSD patients may be placed on medication. There are currently two medicines approved for PTSD: sertraline and paroxetine. These are both antidepressants that may be useful in controlling anxiety, anger and other emotions associated with PTSD.

Sources:

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=posttraumatic_stress_disorder

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml