By Benjamin Wright, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Grace Cottage Family Health
As appeared in the Brattleboro Reformer, October 9, 2015
Most people think of combat veterans when they hear the words “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” or PTSD. The more we learn about PTSD, however, the more we realize that it affects people from all walks of life.
This psychiatric disorder can occur after surviving or witnessing a life-threatening event, including combat, natural disaster, terrorism, a serious accident, violent crime, physical or sexual assault, or childhood neglect.
PTSD is actually quite common. In fact, it is a worldwide phenomenon. As we mark World Mental Health Day on Saturday, October 10, it is useful to remember that mental health is a universal, human concern. People all over the globe can have similar reactions to the events of their lives.
Approximately 8 percent of the United States population will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Among civilians, women are more likely than men to have PTSD symptoms. For combat veterans, approximately one in three experience full-fledged PTSD, and an additional 20 to 25 percent have partial PTSD.
PTSD involves chronic symptoms lasting more than several months. Symptoms are often triggered by sights, sounds, smells, places, or an endless possibility of uniquely personalized triggers which at times are not recognized even by those living with them. Other symptoms include depression, feeling suicidal, and being unable to complete the tasks of daily living. Alcoholism and drug abuse often are responses to PTSD.
The signs used to diagnose PTSD are generally grouped into three categories: reliving (flashbacks, nightmares, hallucinations, or extreme reactions to memories); avoidance tactics (staying away from people, places and things that serve as reminders of the event, or from people in general, or feeling emotionally numb); or heightened arousal (being extra irritable and anxious; panic attacks; difficulty concentrating or sleeping; and feeling constantly on guard).
Because PTSD is a natural reaction to highly stressful, life-threatening events, there is no reason for shame to be involved, but people are often too embarrassed to get help. This is unfortunate, because there are techniques that can help reduce the symptoms of PTSD. We have evidence that talking about the experiences that gave rise to the symptoms is an important part of PTSD recovery.
PTSD sufferers may benefit from setting up a comfortable daily routine, so that they feel more in control of their lives. It is important to maintain connections with family and friends and to regularly participate in fun, recreational activities.
In some cases, these coping strategies are enough to help people with PTSD to recover without any medical or mental health treatment. More often, however, the symptoms linger for years, sometimes due to an especially horrific experience, or repeated exposure to violence, or a long history of trauma. When symptoms are so severe that they interfere with significant relationships, the ability to function in a job, or limit the ability to live a normal life, a mental health professional should be consulted.
There are multiple options that an individual can consider when treating PTSD. These options include talk therapy, exposure therapy as well as medications. Medications are not a cure but help individuals to decrease anxiety, nightmares and depression, all of which will ultimately aid them in improved sleep, increased daily functioning, the strength to face therapy, and ultimately reduce the power of the traumatic memory over them in most cases.
Because PTSD has become known as a universal response to trauma, there are now many resources to help those who suffer from PTSD and to provide information for their friends and loved ones. Two organizations that provide especially useful information about PTSD are the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Alliance (www.ptsdalliance.org or 877-507-PTSD), and the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (NCPTSD), part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (www.ncptsd.org).
The most important things to remember about PTSD are that there is no reason to feel ashamed of the symptoms, and that help is available. I am happy to meet with anyone who believes he/she is suffering from this condition. The person with PTSD is not alone and there are proven ways to help relieve the symptoms and suffering caused by PTSD.
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Benjamin Wright, PMHNP-BC, has recently joined the staff of Grace Cottage Family Health. He earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts and Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing degrees from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston. He is a Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.
