Understand PTSD: Symptoms, Causes and Coping Strategies

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that can affect anybody who has been through a shocking or painful life experience. Although survivors of wars or battles are often linked to PTSD, nowadays, people from various phases of life can also be affected. In this blog, we will discuss the significant symptoms, causes and solutions of PTSD. However, the best counselling psychologist can help the patient overcome this illness. You can eradicate it from your life by gaining enough information on it.

Symptoms of PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder can have adverse symptoms and can affect the patient’s mental as well as physical health. It creates a significant impact on emotional and psychological well-being. These symptoms don’t have a specific time to occur or any duration. It can last for a few hours, a few days, or even a few years. PTSD has various ranges and doesn’t affect every patient similarly. Moreover, every patient who has seen something tragic doesn’t lead to PTSD. Here, post-traumatic stress disorder’s symptoms are divided into four main categories.

1. 1. Re-experiencing the Symptoms
      • Flashbacks: People living with PTSD may experience the terrible incident again as if it were still taking place. Several things that remind individuals of the experience might cause these flashbacks.
      • Dreams: People with PTSD frequently experience upsetting dreams linked to the traumatic incident. These dreams have the potential to be quite vivid and disturbing.
      • Intrusive Ideas: A person may experience severe anguish and anxiety when intrusive ideas, pictures, or upsetting memories connected to the traumatic incident enter their consciousness.
      • Physical emotions: Being around reminders of the event causes intense emotional and physical emotions. This might involve perspiration, an accelerated heartbeat, or a strong sense of fear.
   2. Avoiding Indications
      • Trigger Avoidance: People with PTSD may go to considerable measures to stay away from people, places, things, or activities that bring up memories of the traumatic experience. A worse quality of life and social isolation may result from this.
      • Emotional Insensibility: There is a condition where patients feel emotionally numb or insensitive. They don’t feel the degree of their sadness, anger, happiness, or any other emotion. They feel like they are detaching themselves from people around them. They could struggle to feel happy or pleasurable.
      • Amnesia: People who have PTSD occasionally struggle to remember important details of the traumatic incident.
   3. Symptoms of Hyperarousal
      • Irritability: Anger, irritability, and trouble controlling one’s temper are frequently higher in PTSD patients.
      • Trouble Sleeping: It’s typical to experience insomnia or trouble falling asleep, and nightmares can also make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep.
      • Hypervigilance: It might be challenging to unwind when one is always on guard and has a heightened startled reaction.
      • Difficulty Concentrating: Due to their elevated level of arousal, people with PTSD may find it difficult to concentrate on activities and sustain attention.
   4. Adverse Shifts in Emotion and Thought
      • Perceiving themselves negatively: There are a few patients with this disorder who experience negative thoughts about themselves, like the emotions of shame, guilt, or self-blame linked to the traumatic incident that happened to them.
      • Negative Perceptions: A generalized pessimistic view of the world and other people might emerge, which can cause one to lose faith in other people.
      • Emotional Distancing: People living with PTSD may isolate themselves from others, lose interest in their personal lives, and find it challenging to feel happy feelings.

1. 1. • Flashbacks: People living with PTSD may experience the terrible incident again as if it were still taking place. Several things that remind individuals of the experience might cause these flashbacks.
      • Dreams: People with PTSD frequently experience upsetting dreams linked to the traumatic incident. These dreams have the potential to be quite vivid and disturbing.

Causes of PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder usually occurs after experiencing stressful or traumatic situations in life. These traumatic events include, among many other things, being the victim of sexual or physical assault, major accidents, and natural disasters. Two factors that may influence an individual’s progression of PTSD are the sort of trauma they have undergone and their capacity for vulnerability. However, not everyone who goes through trauma will get unhealthy.

Moreover, an individual’s capacity to deal with the situation, their willpower and their age are a few other common causes of PTSD. People dealing with traumatic incidents have the highest chance of being affected by it. Sometimes, childhood traumas also lead to such incidents.

Not to mention, a person’s capacity for coping is a crucial element. Individuals who struggle to control their emotional and psychological responses to trauma may be more susceptible to developing PTSD. Effective coping techniques, social support, and early diagnosis are essential to lower the chance and aid those who do have PTSD in their recovery.

Coping Strategies for PTSD
Although PTSD can be complex to cope with, several techniques and methods can help people control their symptoms and enhance their general well-being. These coping mechanisms can be applied singly or in combination based on the particular requirements and situation of the person. The following are some successful PTSD coping mechanisms:

1. 1. 1. Getting Expert Assistance:
         Therapy: People with PTSD may benefit from many types of psychotherapy. Evidence-based treatments for PTSD symptoms include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Therapy offers a secure and encouraging setting for managing uncomfortable symptoms, processing traumatic events, and developing coping mechanisms.
         Medication: In certain situations, doctors may recommend drugs, such as antidepressants or anxiety reducers, to treat particular PTSD symptoms. When used with treatment, medication can be beneficial.
      2. Social Support:
         Speak with Reliable People: Sharing your struggles with friends and family might help you feel less alone. Speaking with dependable people can lessen loneliness and increase a sense of community.
         Attend Support Groups: It might be beneficial to attend support groups with others who have gone through comparable situations. These support groups provide a forum for people to talk about their experiences, trade coping mechanisms, and get empathy from others who understand the difficulties of dealing with PTSD.
      3. Self-Care:
         Frequent Exercise: Physical activity has the potential to alleviate symptoms of stress and anxiety. Exercise improves sleep, which is something that many people with PTSD struggle with, and produces endorphins, which are naturally occurring mood enhancers.
         Nutrition-Rich bb Diet: Adding healthy meals to your daily routine boosts your mood and health conditions. Food products high in nutrients benefit physical, mental and psychological health.
         Reduce Stress: There are various ways and types of stress management and the psychologist teaches the process to patients. Workout sessions, Yoga, exercises, deep breathing and meditation are a few ways that can manage stress and anxiety, resulting in easing the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
         Sufficient Sleep: Improving general functioning can be achieved by establishing appropriate sleep hygiene habits and obtaining expert assistance for sleep disorders.
      4. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): CBT assists people in recognizing and disputing harmful thinking patterns and actions linked to their traumatic experiences. People can lessen the severity of their symptoms by altering the way they think about and respond to their memories.
      5. Pharmaceutical: Medication may be recommended under the supervision of a medical professional to treat particular symptoms, such as anxiety, sadness, or nightmares. Therapy and medication are commonly used in tandem.

Conclusion

PTSD is a challenging disorder that millions of people each year experience globally. PTSD is not a taboo in society; it is a diagnosable and treatable illness that needs immediate care. Just by being aware of symptoms and causes, we can raise awareness in the community. Keep in mind that people with PTSD are capable of recovering and regaining control of their lives with the correct care and assistance. Amandeep Hospital has the best psychologist in Amritsar, who can help you overcome your fear and results of trauma with therapies and medications.