JP Stroke Foundation

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – What is it?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that affects persons who have been through or witnessed a terrible incident [4]. People of any race, nationality, or culture, and of any age, can develop PTSD. One out of every eleven people will be diagnosed with PTSD at some point in their lives [5]. PTSD affects twice as many women as it does males.

People with PTSD have intense, distressing thoughts and feelings about their experience that last long after the traumatic event is over [4]. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event and may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or accidental touch.

Diagnosing PTSD

To be diagnosed with PTSD, you must have exposure to a harrowing traumatic event [3]. However, the exposure may be indirect. For example, PTSD can occur in a person who learns of the violent death of a close family member [3]. It can also occur as a result of repeated exposure to gruesome details of a trauma, such as police officers being exposed to details of child abuse cases. PTSD requires psychological help. Remember, you can get help from a psychologist without having to visit a clinic or leave your home.

How to know if someone has PTSD

The person has experienced a traumatic event in which the following factors have occurred: experiencing, witnessing, or facing an event or events that included death, serious injury, or threat thereof, or a threat to the physical integrity of the person or others [2]. In PTSD, reactions to these exposures may result in intense fear, helplessness, or terror.

PTSD and Cardiovascular Risk Factors:

Psychological stress is a cardiovascular risk factor. PTSD, an anxiety disorder resulting from the experience of a traumatic event, despite its historical connotation of war experiences in military veterans, is twice as common in women as in men. According to U.S. data, up to one in 10 women may be exposed to severe stressful situations in their lifetime (sexual or physical violence, involvement in life-threatening accidents or natural disasters, loss of a loved one, witnessing a serious accident or death) that may be associated with the development of PTSD [1]. The association of psychological stress and cardiovascular disease may be mediated by activation of the sympathetic nervous system, increased synthesis of catecholamines, modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with increased cortisol synthesis, development of hypertension, and cardiac arrhythmias [1].

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – Treatment

Recovery from PTSD is a gradual, ongoing process. Complete recovery does not happen overnight, and memories of the trauma never completely disappear [2]. At times, life can seem difficult. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to manage the remaining symptoms and reduce your anxiety and fear.

Therapy should be conducted by qualified therapists who have received appropriate training [2]. The therapy process should be supervised. Some patients may have difficulty discussing the details of the traumatic event. Consider devoting additional sessions to building a trusting therapeutic relationship, stabilizing the patient’s emotional state, before discussing the traumatic event [2].

Eliminating feelings of helplessness is the key to overcoming PTSD. Trauma makes you feel powerless and vulnerable [2]. It is important to remind yourself that you have strengths and coping skills that will help you get through difficult times.

Author: Isha Ballgobin

Citations:

[1] Cohen, L. R., Field, C., Campbell, A. N. ., & Hien, D. A. (2013). Intimate partner violence outcomes in women with PTSD and substance use: A secondary analysis of NIDA Clinical Trials Network “Women and Trauma” Multi-site Study. Addictive Behaviors, 38(7), 2325–2332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.03.006

[2] Lembcke, J. (2013). PTSD : Diagnosis and Identity in Post-Empire America . Lexington Books.

[3] Rubin, D. C., Berntsen, D., & Bohni, M. K. (2008). A Memory-Based Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Evaluating Basic Assumptions Underlying the PTSD Diagnosis. Psychological Review, 115(4), 985–1011. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013397

[4] Sessa, B. (2017). MDMA and PTSD treatment: “PTSD: From novel pathophysiology to innovative therapeutics.” Neuroscience Letters, 649, 176–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2016.07.004

[5] Zhu, L., Li, L., Li, X.-Z., & Wang, L. (2021). Effects of mind-body exercise on PTSD symptoms, depression and anxiety in PTSD patients: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore), 100(4), e24447–e24447. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000024447