Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, also called by its initials PTSD, long ignored and then misunderstood by both the medical community and the general population, is a recognized medical condition which includes psychological, emotional and physical symptoms. It is impossible to do justice to a topic as important and as complicated as PTSD in a short article. However, hopefully this will provide the reader a gateway to other information on this serious medical condition.
What is PTSD?
PTSD is generally classified as a psychiatric disorder. It occurs after a person has experienced a life-threatening event such as military combat, natural disasters, violent personal attacks (such as rape), or a serious accident. Most people recover from the traumatic experience with time. However, some people suffer from stress from the event, and the stress increases over time. The person suffers from flashbacks or reliving by vivid remembering of the event. The person may suffer from nightmares, have problems in sleeping, feel detached or estranged from family and friends. These symptoms can be severe enough, and last long enough to significantly impair their daily life.
PTSD is not merely a psychiatric problem, however, since it is marked by significant biological changes. It is complicated by the fact it occurs in conjunction with depression, substance abuse, memory problems, problems in thinking clearly, to name but a handful of the symptoms. It is also seen in the inability to function in a social or family life, including employment instability, marital problems and divorce, and problems in being a good parent.
Understanding PTSD
PTSD is not a new medical problem. Historical records reflect the condition to have existed for centuries. Medical literature began to discuss it in the United States after the Civil War. WWII and the Holocaust brought it into a better focus for scientific research. However, it was not until after the Vietnam War did it receive the attention it deserves.
PTSD is found with the same symptoms in military veterans deployed in war zones regardless of their nationality. For instance Australian veterans share the same symptoms American veterans do. It is not simply a cultural problem, but a biological one suffered by people of all backgrounds. It also is not unique to military veterans. It is believed up to 8% of the American civilian population suffers from PTSD. It is just more prevalent in military veterans based upon the veteran's exposure to traumatic events.
How Does PTSD Develop?
Almost everyone exposed to a traumatic event suffers from some of the symptoms of PTSD in the days and weeks following the event. It is normal, and probably healthy to do so. It is a mechanism by which the body and mind adjust to the trauma and process the memory of it. However, when the body can not adjust to the experience and let it resolve in the person's memory, it can develop into PTSD. Medical research shows approximately 8% of men and approximately 20% of women develop PTSD. Of these approximately 3 out of 10 people will develop a lifelong chronic problem with PTSD.
How Do You Test for PTSD?
The process of testing for PTSD, also called assessing" is normally a multi-phased approach. Structured interviews by medically and psychologically trained professionals are combined with questionnaires to form a blended psychological assessment. The process is set up to reduce the risk of a patient either exaggerating or denying their symptoms. It is a highly specialized field of diagnostic skill.
How Common is PTSD?
Approximately 8% of the American population will experience PTSD during their lifetime. At any one time, almost 4% of the American population is suffering from it. This is a small percentage of the total population, and a even small percentage of those people who have suffered a traumatic experience. Approximately 60% of men and 50% of women have experienced at least one traumatic event in their life. However, to those who suffer from it, it can be as serious of a disease as anything they may ever experience.
Approximately 3 out of 10 combat veterans - veterans who have served in a war zone in any capacity - experience PTSD. Another 2 to 3 veterans will suffer from partial PTSD sometime through out their life. For instance, more than half of the returning Vietnamese war veterans experienced "clinically serious stress reaction symptoms." Returning Gulf War veterans are suffering from it at an estimated percentage of 1 in 10. However, this is an initial estimate which may very well increase as the veterans age, and more are returned home from the most recent conflicts.
Who Develops PTSD?
There is no specific answer. There are only statistical ranges. PTSD may strike any one. It is unique to the traumatic event which triggers the PTSD, the person who suffers the event, and the social and cultural situation involved both in the event and the aftermath of the event.
The key is it is not a moral failing or a weakness. It simply is a very real medical condition.
Consequences of PTSD?
PTSD is more than a mental condition. It affects the biological make-up of the body. It is most often seen in changes in the biological processes of a person's memory, as well as their fear response. This is seen also in a heightened sensitivity of the startle reflex, as well as sleep abnormalities. Neurobiological changes occur in hormones.
PTSD is associated with other problems. These problems range from alcohol abuse, to drug addiction, to major depression, and conduct problems. This affects the sufferers ability for social and family relationships, as well as their ability to hold stable employment, and often causes problems which result in involvement with the criminal justice system.
PTSD commonly causes headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, immune system problems, dizziness, chest pain and discomfort throughout the body. Unfortunately, often these physical symptoms are treated with PTSD being diagnosed.
PTSD Treatment
The treatment with the best proven results is actually made up of two components. The first is a form or fashion of therapy. The second is prescribed medications. Therapy may take many different forms. It may range from one-on-one counseling, to group discussions. The therapy may include cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure therapy. The principle drugs prescribed for the condition are SSRI [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors] such as Prozac and Zoloft.
To its credit the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs, once a roadblock in finding help for PTSD sufferers, is a major proponent of ongoing scientific and medical research. It operates the National Center for PTSD which coordinates the exchange and flow of information related to PTSD, as well as promotes the need for ongoing scientific and medical research. The National Center for PTSD website is an excellent resource. [ http://www.ncptsd.va.gov ]
