We are both familiar with the symptoms and effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Some military personnel and law enforcement officers can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an emotional illness that can develop as a result of a life-threatening experience. Such experiences can include combat in
People who suffer from PTSD tend to avoid places or people that remind them of the devastating life event. While PTSD has only been recognized as a formal diagnosis since 1980, it has been around much earlier and has been identified with terms like “combat fatigue” or “shell shock.” As of 2005, more than 200,000 veterans were receiving disability compensation for PTSD for a cost of $4.3 billion.
In addition to disaster-preparedness training that has been shown to be effective in reducing the potential for PTSD among police, firefighters and medical professionals, some medications that treat depression are thought to be effective in preventing PTSD if administered in the days immediately following the traumatic event.
Because failure to identify and treat PTSD can have serious consequences for sufferers’ functioning and relationships, it is important to be able to recognize symptoms of this disorder that include:
1) A recurrent re-experiencing of the traumatic event(s) that can include nightmares, flashbacks, or dissociative reliving of the trauma;
2) Fear or avoidance of places or people that remind the sufferer of the trauma sometimes coupled with becoming emotionally numb; and
3) Physical signs including headaches, problems with sleeping, anger, blackouts, loss of memory, hypersensitivity to potential threats, depression, drug addition and suicidal thoughts or attempts.
People who are diagnosed as suffering from PTSD undergo psychotherapy and can be prescribed any number of medications to treat particular symptoms. Techniques employed in psychotherapy include education about the illness, helping sufferers talk about the trauma, and teaching people ways to manage symptoms that can include counseling for the sufferer as well as family members who are exposed to and affected by the disorder.
In so far as symptoms of PTSD can get worse, it is important to seek treatment early rather than late. Failure to seek and receive help can ultimately harm one’s relationships, ability to function and quality of life.
Family members who live with someone who suffers from PTSD are advised to be patient and understanding as recovery time varies from individual to individual. It is important to anticipate and be prepared for “triggers” that might remind the sufferer of the trauma, including an anniversary date or people or places associated with the traumatic event. Relatives and friends should not take symptoms like anger or withdrawal personally in so far as such behavior has nothing to do with their relationship.
Contact information for specific organizations that can help people who suffer from PTSD can be found in the resources/links section of our website. These groups help people with PTSD to receive treatment; to stick with it; and to reach out to others for support so they can live full and productive lives.
Have you or your partner ever been in combat or been in a situation where your life was threatened? Are you familiar with the help the Veterans Administration and other organizations provide in helping people who suffer from PTSD? Would you risk losing your family and possibly your life rather than seek help if you were suffering from PTSD?