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PTSD ::
What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following
the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as
military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious
accidents, abuse (sexual, physical, emotional, ritual), and violent
personal assaults like rape. People who suffer from PTSD often relive
the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty
sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be
severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the
personís daily life.
PTSD is marked by
clear biological changes as well as psychological symptoms. PTSD is
complicated by the fact that it frequently occurs in conjunction with
related disorders such as depression, substance abuse, problems of
memory and cognition, and other problems of physical and mental
health. The disorder is also associated with impairment of the
personís ability to function in social or family life, including
occupational instability, marital problems and divorces, family
discord, and difficulties in parenting.
How do traumatic experiences affect people?
People who go through
traumatic experiences often have symptoms and problems afterward. How
serious the symptoms and problems are depends on many things including
a person's life experiences before the trauma, a person's own natural
ability to cope with stress, how serious the trauma was, and what kind
of help and support a person gets from family, friends, and
professionals immediately following the trauma.
Because most trauma
survivors are not familiar with how trauma affects people, they often
have trouble understanding what is happening to them. They may think
the trauma is their fault, that they are going crazy, or that there is
something wrong with them because other people who experienced the
trauma don't appear to have the same problems. Survivors may turn to
drugs or alcohol to make themselves feel better. They may turn away
from friends and family who don't seem to understand. They may not
know what to do to get better.
What do trauma survivors need to know?
· Traumas
happen to many competent, healthy, strong, good people. No one can
completely protect him- or herself from traumatic experiences.
· Many
people have long-lasting problems following exposure to trauma. Up to
8% of individuals will have PTSD at some time in their lives.
· People
who react to traumas are not going crazy. They are experiencing
symptoms and problems that are connected with having been in a
traumatic situation.
· Having
symptoms after a traumatic event is not a sign of personal
weakness. Many psychologically well-adjusted and physically healthy
people develop PTSD. Probably everyone would develop PTSD if they were
exposed to a severe enough trauma.
· When
a person understands trauma symptoms better, he or she can become less
fearful of them and better able to manage them.
·
By recognizing the effects of trauma and
knowing more about symptoms, a person is better able to decide about
getting treatment.
How does trauma affect relationships?
Trauma survivors with
PTSD often experience problems in their intimate and family
relationships or close friendships.
PTSD involves
symptoms that interfere with trust, emotional closeness,
communication, responsible assertiveness, and effective problem
solving.
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Survivors may
experience a loss of interest in social or sexual activities, they
may feel distant from others, and they may be emotionally numb.
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Partners,
friends, or family members may feel hurt, alienated, or discouraged
because the survivor has not been able to overcome the effects of
the trauma, and they may become angry or distant toward the
survivor.
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Feeling
irritable, on guard, easily startled, worried, or anxious may lead
survivors to be unable to relax, socialize, or be intimate without
being tense or demanding. Significant others may feel pressured,
tense, and controlled as a result.
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Difficulty
falling or staying asleep and severe nightmares may prevent both the
survivor and partner from sleeping restfully, which may make
sleeping together difficult.
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Trauma
memories, trauma reminders or flashbacks, and the avoidance of such
memories or reminders can make living with a survivor feel like
living in a war zone or like living with the constant threat of
vague but terrible danger.
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Living with an
individual who has PTSD does not automatically cause PTSD, but it
can produce vicarious or secondary traumatization, which is similar
to having PTSD.
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Reliving
trauma memories, avoiding trauma reminders, and struggling with fear
and anger greatly interfere with a survivor's ability to
concentrate, listen carefully, and make cooperative decisions. As a
result, problems often go unresolved for a long time.
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Significant
others may come to feel that dialogue and teamwork are impossible.
Survivors of
childhood sexual and physical abuse and survivors of rape, domestic
violence, combat, terrorism, genocide, torture, kidnapping, and being
a prisoner of war often report feeling a lasting sense of terror,
horror, vulnerability, and betrayal that interferes with
relationships.
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Survivors who
feel close to someone else, who begin to trust, and who become
emotionally or sexually intimate may feel like they are letting down
their guard. Although the survivor often actually feels a strong
bond of love or friendship in current healthy relationships, this
experience can be perceived as dangerous.
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Having been
victimized and exposed to rage and violence, survivors often
struggle with intense anger and impulses. In order to suppress their
anger and impulsive actions, survivors mayaboidaaa avoid closeness
by expressing criticism toward or dissatisfaction with loved ones
and friends.
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Intimate
relationships may have episodes of verbal or physical violence.
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Survivors may
be overly dependent upon or overprotective of partners, family
members, friends, or support persons (such as healthcare providers
or therapists).
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Alcohol abuse
and substance addiction, which can result from an attempt to cope
with PTSD, can destroy intimacy and friendships
In the first weeks
and months following a traumatic event, survivors of disasters,
terrible accidents or illnesses, or community violence often feel an
unexpected sense of anger, detachment, or anxiety in their intimate,
family, and friendship relationships. Most are able to resume their
prior level of intimacy and involvement in relationships, but the
5-10% who develop PTSD often experience lasting problems with
relatedness and intimacy.
Yet, many trauma
survivors do not experience PTSD, and many people in intimate
relationships, families, and friendships with individuals who have
PTSD do not experience severe relational problems. People with PTSD
can create and maintain successful intimate relationships by:
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Establishing a
personal support network that will help the survivor cope with PTSD
while he or she maintains or rebuilds family and friend
relationships with dedication, perseverance, hard work, and
commitment
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Sharing
feelings honestly and openly with an attitude of respect and
compassion
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Continually
strengthening cooperative problem-solving and communication skills
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Including
playfulness, spontaneity, relaxation, and mutual enjoyment in the
relationship
What can be done to help someone who has PTSD?
For many trauma
survivors, intimate, family, and friend relationships are extremely
beneficial. These relationships provide:
(1) Companionship and
a sense of belonging, which can act as an antidote to isolation
(2) Self-esteem,
which can act as an antidote to depression and guilt
(3) Opportunities to
make a positive contribution, which can reduce feelings of failure or
alienation
(4) Practical and
emotional support when coping with life stressors
As with all
psychological disturbances, especially those that impair social,
psychological, or emotional functioning, it is best to seek treatment
from a professional who has expertise in both PTSD and in treating
couples or families. Many therapists with this expertise are members
of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, whose
membership directory contains a geographical listing and an indication
of those who treat couples or families and PTSD. Survivors find a
number of different professional treatments helpful for dealing with
relationship issues, including individual and group psychotherapy for
their own PTSD, anger and stress management, assertiveness training,
couples communication classes, family education classes, and family
therapy.
*All information excerpted from the National Center for PTSD at the
website ncptsd.va.gov. Much more information and other links can be
found there as well.
More Info on
PTSD:
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