An Introduction to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
"I was raped when I was 25 years old. For a long time, I spoke about the rape as though it was something that happened to someone else. I was very aware that it had happened to me, but there was just no feeling.
"Then I started having flashbacks. They kind of came over me like a splash of water. I would be terrified. Suddenly I was reliving the rape. Every instant was startling. I wasn't aware of anything around me. I was in a bubble, just kind of floating. And it was scary. Having a flashback can wring you out.
"The rape happened the week before Thanksgiving, and I can't believe the
anxiety and fear I feel every year around the anniversary date. It's as though I've seen a werewolf. I can't relax, can't sleep, don't want to be with anyone. I wonder whether I'll ever be free of this terrible problem."
What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (
PTSD) is a debilitating condition that can develop following a terrifying event. Often, people with the disorder have persistent, frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to.
Causes of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder was first brought to public attention by war veterans, but it can result from any number of traumatic incidents. These include violent attacks, such as:
- Mugging, rape, or torture
- Being kidnapped or held captive
- Child abuse
- Serious accidents, such as car or train wrecks
- Natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes.
The event that triggers the condition may be something that threatened the person's life or the life of someone close to him or her. Or it could be something witnessed, such as massive death and destruction after a building is bombed or a plane crashes.
Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Whatever the source of the problem, some people with post-traumatic stress disorder repeatedly relive the trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the day. They may also experience:
- Sleep problems
- Feeling detached or numb
- Being easily startled
- Losing interest in things they used to enjoy
- Having trouble feeling affectionate
- Irritability
- Being more aggressive than before, or even violent.
Things that remind people with
PTSD of the trauma may be distressing, which could lead them to avoid certain places or situations that bring back those memories. Anniversaries of the traumatic event are often difficult as well.
Diagnosing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder is diagnosed only if the symptoms last more than a month. In those who do develop the condition, symptoms usually begin within three months of the trauma, and the course of the illness varies. Some people recover within six months, while others have symptoms that last much longer. In some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder may be chronic. Occasionally, the illness doesn't show up until years after the traumatic event.
Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
People with post-traumatic stress disorder can be helped by medications and carefully targeted psychotherapy. Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of
cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), group therapy, and exposure therapy, in which the person gradually and repeatedly relives the frightening experience under controlled conditions to help him or her work through the trauma. Studies also have found that several types of medication, particularly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (
SSRIs) and other
antidepressants, can help relieve the symptoms of
PTSD.
Facts on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder affects about 5.2 million adult Americans. Women are more likely than men to develop it.
The condition can occur at any age, including childhood, and there is some evidence that susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder may run in families.
In severe cases, the person may have trouble working or socializing. In general, the symptoms seem to be worse if the event that triggered them was deliberately initiated by a person -- such as a rape or kidnapping.
Ordinary events can serve as reminders of the trauma and trigger flashbacks or intrusive images. A person having a flashback, which can come in the form of images, sounds, smells, or feelings, may lose touch with reality and believe that the traumatic event is happening all over again.
Not every traumatized person gets full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder or even experiences it at all.
