How To Treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder that occurs after a recent major traumatic event. This is usually called battle fatigue or shell shock. It is an emotional sickness that stems from a particular experience that the person just couldn't cope or deal with. It is often accompanied by feelings of guilt, shame and depression. Research on the topic is expanding, but the cause still remains unknown. Doctors can do psychiatric and physical exams, but no specific exam can test PTSD.

It can be triggered by unforeseen events such as wars, violent deaths, rape, car and plane crashes or natural disasters. The mind and the body go into total shock leaving a person feeling numb emotionally. The feeling of security is seriously threatened and sufferers could find it hard to trust again. Symptoms could range from emotional to physical. Sufferers often find it hard to move on and suicide attempts are not rare. Usually, the trauma starts after 3 months and can last for many years. The sooner it is detected, the better it is for the patient. Sufferers of PTSD tend to experience the same thing again and again. Thus, they usually avoid things or people that remind them of the event causing isolation. Complications could include depression and substance abuse.

Medical Treatment. There is no proven cure yet so it is important to seek help immediately. Antidepressants like fluoxetine (Prozac) lessen the feelings of self-loathing. Sedatives may be diagnosed for better sleep. Your doctor could prescribe anti-anxiety drugs, but stay away from benzodiazepines, as this can be habit-forming. Therapies are an excellent way to get you out of your shell. Behavioral therapy helps to lessen the symptoms by allowing you to release pent-up emotions. There are activities where people with the same experience can discuss their thoughts and find common ground. This therapy allows flooding and guided exposure treatments. Cognitive therapy helps reduce the alienation and social stigma. Confrontations dealing with imaginary or real-life exposure are used as mediums. Interpersonal psychotherapy has also been doing wonders. This type helps sufferers foster interpersonal relationship for building better self-esteem. There are many support groups to help you deal with the whole situation.

The more you can open up about how you feel, the more others can help. Talk to your loved ones about the whole ordeal. If you keep everything to yourself, you may eventually feel as if you are going to explode. It is still a wonderful world out there and life shouldn't stop here. Seek to be better so you can still enjoy the things you used to love doing.