POST TRAUMATIC

DISORDER

POST TRAUMATIC DISORDER

a mental health condition that's
triggered by a terrifying event
either experiencing it or witnessing
it.
People who experience interpersonal
trauma (for examplerapeorchild
abuse) are more likely to develop
PTSD, as compared to people who
experience non-assault based
trauma such as accidents and

Examples include:
Being involved in, or witnessing, a car accident
Undergoing major surgery (bone marrow transplant,
extensive hospitalization, or severe burns)
Experiencing or witnessing natural disasters
(earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, or fire)
Violent crimes (kidnapping, physical assault, or
assault or murder of a parent or loved one)
Community violence (attacks at school, or suicide of
a friend, family member, or a child in the same-age
group)
Chronic physical or sexual abuse

Symptoms
PTSD symptoms are generally
grouped into four types:
1. Intrusive memories
2. Avoidance
3. Negative changes in thinking
and mood
4. Changes in emotional reactions

1. Intrusive memories
Symptoms:
. Recurrent, unwanted distressing
memories of the traumatic event
. Reliving the traumatic event as if it
were happening again (flashbacks)
. Upsetting dreams about the traumatic
event
. Severe emotional distress or physical
reactions to something that reminds
you of the event

2. Avoidance
Symptoms of avoidance may include:
Trying to avoid thinking or talking about
the traumatic event
Avoiding places, activities or people that
remind you of the traumatic event
3. Negative changes in thinking and
mood
Symptoms of negative changes in thinking
and mood may include:
Negative feelings about yourself or other
people

 Inability to experience positive

emotions
Feeling emotionally numb
Lack of interest in activities you once
enjoyed
Hopelessness about the future
Memory problems, including not
remembering important aspects of
the traumatic event
Difficulty maintaining close
relationships

4. Changes in emotional reactions

Symptoms of changes in emotional reactions
(also called arousal symptoms) may include:
Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive
behavior
Always being on guard for danger
Overwhelming guilt or shame
Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking
too much or driving too fast
Trouble concentrating
Trouble sleeping
Being easily startled or frightened

Risk factors
Experiencing intense or long-lasting trauma
Having experienced other trauma earlier in life,
including childhood abuse or neglect
Having a job that increases your risk of being
exposed to traumatic events, such as military
personnel and first responders
Having other mental health problems, such as
anxiety or depression
Lacking a good support system of family and friends
Having biological (blood) relatives with mental health
problems, including PTSD or depression

Kinds of traumatic events

Combat exposure
Childhood neglect and physical abuse
Sexual assault
Physical attack
Being threatened with a weapon
Many other traumatic events also can lead to
PTSD, such as fire, natural disaster, mugging,
robbery, car accident, plane crash, torture,
kidnapping, life-threatening medical diagnosis,
terrorist attack, and other extreme or lifethreatening events.

Complications
Having PTSD also may increase your
risk of other mental health problems,
such as:
1. Depression and anxiety
2. Issues with drugs or alcohol use
3. Eating disorders
4. Suicidal thoughts and actions

Tests and diagnosis

Post-traumatic stress disorder is
diagnosed based on signs and
symptoms and a thorough
psychological evaluation.
To be diagnosed with PTSD, you must
meet criteria in the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-5), published by the
American Psychiatric Association.

DSM criteria for PTSD

Diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to an event that
involved or held the threat of death, violence or
serious injury.
Your exposure can happen in one or more of these
ways:
You experienced the traumatic event
You witnessed, in person, the traumatic event
You learned someone close to you experienced or was
threatened by the traumatic event
You are repeatedly exposed to graphic details of
traumatic events (for example, if you are a first
responder to the scene of traumatic events)

 You experience one or more of the following

signs or symptoms after the traumatic event:
You relive experiences of the traumatic
event, such as having distressing images
and memories.
You have upsetting dreams about the
traumatic event.
You experience flashbacks as if you were
experiencing the traumatic event again.
You experience ongoing or severe emotional
distress or physical symptoms if something
reminds you of the traumatic event.

Treatments and drugs

Psychotherapy ( Talk Therapy )
1. Cognitive therapy.
. This type of talk therapy helps you
recognize the ways of thinking (cognitive
patterns) that are keeping you stuck.
2. Exposure therapy.
. This behavioral therapy helps you safely
face what you find frightening so that
you can learn to cope with it effectively.

3. Eye movement desensitization

and reprocessing (EMDR).
EMDR combines exposure therapy
with a series of guided eye
movements that help you process
traumatic memories and change how
you react to traumatic memories.

 Medications
1. Antidepressants.
. These medications can help symptoms
of depression and anxiety.
. They can also help improve sleep
problems and concentration.
. The selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitor (SSRI) medications sertraline
(Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) are
approved by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for PTSD treatment.

2. Anti-anxiety medications.
These drugs also can improve
feelings of anxiety and stress for a
short time to relieve severe anxiety
and related problems.
3. Prazosin.
If symptoms include insomnia or
recurrent nightmares, a drug called
prazosin (Minipress) may help.

Coping and support

1. Follow your treatment plan.
2. Learn about PTSD.
3. Take care of yourself.
4. Don't self-medicate.
5. Break the cycle.
6. Talk to someone.
7. Consider a support group.