Burke Center: Help available for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a potentially debilitating type of anxiety disorder that can occur at any age. It can occur after you’ve seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death, such as a natural disaster like a flood or fire, or events such as assault, domestic abuse, prison stay, rape, terrorism or war. Veterans returning home from a war often have PTSD. The cause of PTSD is unknown. Psychological, genetic, physical, and social factors are involved. PTSD changes the body’s response to stress. It affects the stress hormones and chemicals that carry information between the nerves (neurotransmitters). It is not known why traumatic events cause PTSD in some people but not others. Having a history of trauma may increase your risk for getting PTSD after a recent traumatic event. There are three main clusters of symptoms of PTSD: first, those related to re-experiencing the event; secondly, those related to avoidance and arousal; and thirdly, the distress and impairment caused by the first two symptom clusters. “Reliving” the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity, includes flashback episodes where the event seems to be happening again and again, repeated upsetting memories of the event, repeated nightmares of the event, and strong, uncomfortable reactions to situations that remind you of the event. Avoidance can mean emotional “numbing,” or feeling as though you don’t care about anything, feeling detached, being unable to remember important aspects of the trauma, having a lack of interest in normal activities, showing less of your moods, avoiding places, people or thoughts that remind you of the event, and feeling like you have no future. Arousal of PTSD may include difficulty concentrating, startling easily or having an exaggerated response to things that startle you, feeling more aware (hyper vigilance), feeling irritable or having outbursts of anger, or having trouble falling or staying asleep. You might feel guilt about the event (including “survivor guilt”). You might also have some of the symptoms which are typical of anxiety, stress and tension. These include agitation or excitability, dizziness, fainting, feeling your heart beat in your chest and headache. There are no tests that can be done to diagnose PTSD. The diagnosis is made based on certain symptoms. Your physician may ask for how long you have had symptoms. This will help your doctor know if you have PTSD or a similar condition called Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). In PTSD, symptoms are present for at least 30 days, whereas, in ASD, symptoms will be present for a shorter period of time. Your physician may also do mental health exams, physical exams, and blood tests to rule out other illnesses that are similar to PTSD. Treatment can help prevent PTSD from developing after a trauma. Medicines that act on the nervous system can help reduce anxiety and other symptoms of PTSD. Antidepressants, as well as anti-anxiety and sleep medications can be effective in treating PTSD. A good social support system may also help protect against PTSD. Support groups, where people who have had similar experiences share their feelings, may also be helpful. The Burke Center, Deep East Texas region’s mental health authority, currently has several therapists who are trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and are available to give free counseling to veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD. Those who are not veterans, but are seeking assistance for PTSD may also contact the Burke Center for a referral to other providers for treatment. For the Burke Center’s Intake Department, call their toll-free line at 866-242-4556.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:36:13 +0000
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