Post -traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

He Post traumatic or PTSD stress disorder It is currently conceived as a disorder that appears as response to a highly stressful situation or "traumatic". This disorder is characterized by the presence of the following symptomatic manifestations related to exposure to that traumatic event.

Content

• Origin and classification of the PTSD
• Main symptoms of PTSD
  • Intrusive re-experience of the traumatic event
  • Avoidance
  • Emboting
  • Autonomous hyperactivation
  • Intense emotional reactions
  • Aggressive behaviors towards others and themselves
• PREPT treatment
  • References

Origin and classification of the PTSD

As exposed in the DSM-V diagnostic manual: many people who survive extreme traumatic events develop PTSD. Combat survivors are the most frequent victims, but they also identify in individuals who faced other disasters, both of natural and induced origin. They include violation, floods, kidnappings and aviation accidents, as well as threats that may imply kidnapping or hostage taking. Children can study with PTSD as a result of an inappropriate sexual experience, whether they suffer or not injury. The PTSD can be diagnosed even those who only learned of some intense traum. One or two in 1.000 patients who submit to general anesthesia refer to having awareness of pain, anxiety, helplessness and fear of imminent death during the procedure; Up to half of them you can subsidize Subsequent Syntoms of PTSD.

In this classification, the stressful experiences of everyday life are excluded, such as duel, divorce and serious illness. Anesthesia's awakening while surgery still continues, however, a traumatic event could be considered, as well as finding out the sudden accidental death of the spouse and a disease that threatens the life of a child.

After a certain period (symptoms do not usually develop immediately after trauma), the individual somehow evokes the traumatic event and tries to avoid thinking about him. There are also symptoms of physiological hyperactivation, as an exaggeration of the shock response. PM patients also express negative feelings, such as fault or personal responsibility ("I should have avoided").

In addition to the traumatic event itself, other factors can participate in the development of the PTSD. Between the individual factors The innate character of the person and the genetic inheritance are found. The low level of intelligence and low educational preparation show a positive association with PTSD. Between the environmental factors There are the low socioeconomic state and belonging to a racial or ethnic minority group.

In general, The more terrible or longer the traum. The risk is increased until reaching a quarter of the survivors of intense combat and two thirds of those who were prisoners of war. Those who faced disasters due to natural phenomena, such as fires or floods, usually tend to develop symptomatology.

Older adults are less likely to develop symptoms than younger ones, and women tend to show rates a little higher than men. About half of the patients recover over the course of a few months; others may experience inability for years.

Main symptoms of PTSD

Intrusive re-experience of the traumatic event

Some authors consider that the symptoms of this type are “the contrast mark” of the PTSD. These are re-experiences of the traumatic event of an intrusive nature, which can cause in the person a reaction of stress and anxiety very similar to that occurred against the original trauma. Here are symptoms that range from flashbacks, nightmares, etc. There are authors who indicate that this re-experience can cause a "re-traumatization", self-perpetuating trauma, and "setting" the person in an event to which they are being continuously re-explained.

Avoidance

The avoidance of trauma reminders is one of the central symptoms of PTSD, and can be manifested from different ways. On the one hand, the person can present avoidance behaviors so as not to have to face any reminder of the traumatic experience. Reminders can be people, situations or circumstances that are similar or somehow associated with the event. On the other hand, people with PREPT usually try to move the memories of their minds and avoid thinking or talking in detail about the event, especially in the worst moments. However, it also happens that the person rumows excessively on the aspects that could prevent the event, about the reasons or why they had to happen to them, or how to take revenge on the event. On the other hand, the person can avoid trauma memories through dissociative mechanisms or symptoms of amnesia. Another form of avoidance that usually develops, and that we will see below, has to do with the experimentation of emotions, especially with the "intolerable" emotions for the person, in many cases tried "emotionally" anesthet ", either showing affective" detachment " , through substance consumption, due to excessive dedication to work or other activities, etc.

Emboting

Many authors consider that dull symptoms are a way of avoidance that occurs specifically in the PTSD. Numbness can be expressed as depression, anhedonia, lack of motivation, but also as psychosomatic reactions, or dissociative states. Keep in mind that, as we indicate below, on many occasions people with this disorder present difficulties in controlling their emotions, and precisely because they try to avoid disturbing internal sensations.

Autonomous hyperactivation

Although people with PTSD are usually characterized by emotional constriction, however their bodies seem to remain reacted to certain emotional and physical stimuli as if the threat still persisted, although this autonomic activation does not already have the adaptive function of alerting the organism of a danger of a danger. This hyperactivation has sleep problems associated. On the one hand, they may be unable to calm down enough to go to sleep, and on the other they can be afraid of their nightmares. Many people with Tept report that their dream is interrupted, wake up as soon as they begin to have a dream, for fear that it will become nightmare. On the other hand, these people also report excessive hypervigilance, and exaggerated shock response. The physiological hyperactivation experienced by these people also interferes with their ability to concentrate. Apart from amnesia's problems about certain aspects of trauma, these people usually have problems remembering everyday things. They can even lose maturational achievements, and return to previous stages of stress coping, such as losing their ability to take care of themselves, excessive dependence, make autonomous decisions, sphincter control in children, etc.

Intense emotional reactions

Difficulties appear in the regulation of affection. These people can respond to stimuli with intense and disproportionate reactions (anger, anxiety, panic, etc.), which can even intimidate others. But they can also be paralyzed.

Aggressive behaviors towards others and themselves

Many studies have indicated that traumatized people can manifest aggressive behaviors towards others or themselves. For example, children's abuses increase the probability of criminal and criminal conduct in adulthood.

PREPT treatment

PREPT treatment is performed with psychotherapy and medication. In psychotherapy, anxiety management is worked through relaxation, meditation, learn to replace negative thoughts with other positive ones and learn to stop the thoughts that originate anxiety.

Cognitive therapy and exposure therapy, which involves exposing both imaginarily and in reality to situations that recall trauma, without symptoms being triggered.

The medications used for the treatment of PTSD are antidepressants, from new generation, to the old ones. In addition, drugs that stabilize the mood and anxiolytic medication can be used, for the treatment of anxiety at specific times where it is not possible to control it.

References

• American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, d.C.: American Psychiatric Association
• Barlow, d.H. (1988). Anxiety and its Disorders: The Nature and Treatment of Anxiety and panic. New York: Guilford
• Live, j. (1985).The use of hypnosis in posttraumatic conditions. In w. AND. Kelly (ed.), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and The War Patient (pp. 193-210). New York: Brunner/Mazel.
• Breslau, n., Davis, g.C., And Andreski, P. (1991). Traumatic Events and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in an Urban Population of Young Adults. Archives of General Psvchiatrv. 48, 216-222.
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• Orsillo, s. M.; Batten, s.V. (2005) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Behavior Modification, 29 (1), 95-129