Definition of the Illness
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that occurs after a stressful or disastrous occasion. It is characterized by a feeling of fear, upset, withdrawal from other people, and denial, among other symptoms. Though similar in symptoms to Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a continuation of Acute Stress Disorder. Whereas ASD occurs immediately after a fateful event and lasts up to a month, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is ascertained once the symptoms linger for more than one month. Unlike in ASD, symptoms of PTSD do not necessarily set in after the tragedy. The symptoms may start on a later day after the tragedy. Indeed most cases of Acute Stress disorder end up becoming PSTD (Comer, 2008, P.143).
Symptoms of the Illness
There are many symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. It is also important to note that even though PTSD and ASD are different disorders, their symptoms are almost similar.
Symptoms
Occasionally patients re-experience the tragic events of their order in their minds. Some re-experience the tragedy in their dreams or get nightmares while, in some serious cases, a patient relive the actual ordeal.
Some patients tend to constantly avoid things, situations, or conversations that remind them of their ordeal.
People with this disorder tend to have reduced responsiveness. Most often, they are no longer interested in activities they used to like. In addition, most of them will try to dissociate from (Comer, 2008, p.143).
Causes of the Illness
There are following causes of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder:
Combat
It was not until the first world war that psychologists discovered the correlation between combat and PTSD. Most soldiers coming from war experienced some form of psychological discomfort. These traumas emanated from the gruesome and heinous events that transpired in the war. In most cases, the most severely affected were those who experienced their friend and colleagues being injured or killed.
Disasters
Psychologists have found that disasters such as car accidents, earthquakes, and floods cause as much trauma as combat. In fact, due to their recurrent nature, natural disasters are most responsible for PTSD than any other cause.
Victimization
Indeed, research has revealed that those people, who have experienced some form of torture in their lives, are more likely to develop PTSD than the rest (Comer, 2008, p.144). Determine how one will cope in the face of tragedy (Comer, 2008, p.149).
Factors Increasing Risk of Developing Illness
Various factors increase the probability of getting PTSD. These factors include:
Biological factors and genetic inclination
Researchers have discovered that tragic occurrences trigger physical variation in the brain of a human being. These changes can result in permanent damage to parts of the brain and be passed on to successive generation.
Personality
Research has shown that people of certain characters are likely to develop PTSD.
Childhood Experiences
Depending on the history of a person; some people are likely to develop PTSD than others.
Social Support
The strength of the family and the relationship is one of the factors that determine how one will cope in the face of tragedy (Comer, 2008, p.149).
Treatments or Drugs for the Illness
Treatment for PTSD entails a combination of drugs and therapy. Further, treatment differs from one type of calamity to the other.
Combat Victims
Several techniques are used to treat veterans. This include:
Drug Therapy
a combination of antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs are used to reduce the symptoms of PTSD.
Behavioral Exposure Technique
This is the single most effective technique in relieving PTSD symptoms. It involves exposing the patient to a vivid imagination of the battleground.
Insight Therapy
This involves getting the veterans to root out their hard-seated feelings and anger (Comer, 2008, p. 151).
The National Center for PTSD
The Nation Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a center for information on PTSD. The center’s key mandate is to do research, educate, and treat those affected by trauma. Although the center’s key objective is to offer help to American veterans, it also extends its services to all other victims of disasters. The institution has seven centers across America, but it also has a website that can be used to access helpful information (Who is SEABHS?”, 2013).
The Meadows
The Meadows is a center for the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and other forms of disorders. It is located in Wickenburg, Arizona. The Meadows has been in existent for the last 35 years. Besides offering treatment to trauma patients, The Meadows also offers workshops for disaster victims (Why the Meadows”, 2013).
Theravive
Theravive is a treatment and counseling center located in Sierra Vista. It is composed of a network of trained and qualified anxiety therapists and counselors. The key purpose of this center is to a counselor, educate and treat people who are affected by stress and anxiety disorders (“Anxiety Sierra Vista AZ. stress counselor, treatment, anxiety counseling Sierra Vista, Arizona,” 2013).
Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services (SEABHS)
SEABHS is a non-profit making community center that specializes in the treatment of mental disorders and addicts. It is located in the heart of Southeast Arizona but has offices in 4 counties: Graham, Cochise, Greenlee, and Gila. Originally, the center operated as an administrative official responsible for overseeing the four counties’ mental wellness. Today, SEABHS is a center charged with treating those with mental disorders and offering accommodation to the mentally sick (“Who is SEABHS?”, 2013).
References
Anxiety Sierra Vista AZ. stress counselor, treatment, anxiety counseling Sierra Vista, Arizona, (2013). Theravive.
Comer, R. (2008). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (7 th. ed). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Trauma and PTSD, (2013). United States: Department of veterans affairs.
Who is SEABHS? (2013). Southeastern Arizona behavioral health services, Inc. Web.
Why the Meadows, (2013). The Meadows. Web.