Describe the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, sometimes known as PTSD, is primarily a form of anxiety illness. It is a response to traumatic or life-threatening experiences such as combat, sexual assault, accidents, or natural catastrophes. It can develop as a result of these experiences.
The following are some examples of symptoms of PTSD:
Anxiety, rage, depression, impatience, and melancholy are some of the emotional symptoms.
Tiredness, increased sweating, high or low blood pressure, and difficulty digesting food are some of the physical symptoms that may be present.
The autonomic nerve system, the endocrine system, and the immunological system are all impacted by stress, and these three bodily systems are all depending on one another. The way in which we react mentally to stressful situations has a significant impact on how our bodies react physically to those situations.
The production of large quantities of inflammatory hormones into our systems is a normal reaction to stressful or traumatic events; nevertheless, these hormones are released even with the mere remembrance of a traumatic event. Therefore, a state of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might be understood as an extreme accumulation of emotional stress.
Recent studies have shown that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects a portion of the brain known as the amygdala to become smaller. The region of the brain that is responsible for processing feelings, including fear, is called the amygdala. According to the findings of certain studies, having a smaller amygdala makes it more challenging for people to handle the anxiety that is caused by traumatic experiences.
Who Is at Risk for Developing PTSD?
During the Civil War, the first clinical cases of posttraumatic stress disorder were discovered, and during World War I, the disease received increased attention. However, the American Psychiatric Association did not give its stamp of approval to the condition until the year 1980. There has been a significant advancement in our knowledge of PTSD in recent years. Extensive research has been conducted into this mental disorder, its causes, and its potential therapies.
According to the National Center for PTSD, which is a division of the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, approximately five percent of men and ten percent of women living in the United States will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point during their lives. There are currently 6-7 million individuals in the United States who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of this, but even youngsters can get PTSD. Because of the growing turmoil that exists in the world today, it is anticipated that this figure will continue to rise. The majority of people begin to exhibit early signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) not long after experiencing a traumatic experience; however, a delayed PTSD reaction can occur months or even years later.
The number of people in our armed forces who get post-traumatic stress disorder is rising at an alarming rate: up to thirty percent of women and men who serve in active combat zones go on to develop the disease. The following factors can have an impact on the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military personnel:
which branch of the military they served in, whether or not they saw active combat, whether or not they were sexually assaulted while serving in the military, and whether or not they were an officer.
How Does PTSD Develop?
The development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is invariably preceded by a terrifying or life-threatening incident that a person either lives through, witnesses, or even just learns about. They experience feelings of intense dread, fear, or helplessness as a result of this event.
Most people are able to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if they get the support they need; nevertheless, there are some people who discover that they lose the ability to cope with their day-to-day life as a result of a terrible incident; yet, most people are able to recover from PTSD.
After a tragic tragedy, one person described how they were feeling by saying, “I wasn’t there for anyone anymore – it was as if I had checked out, emotionally. I got up every morning and went through the motions, but I didn’t really feel anything and I didn’t want to be around anyone. I was unable to concentrate. Nothing got done for what seemed like hours. And I know that my family saw it, and I know that they were aware of the hole it created. I believe that everyone around me was negatively affected by this, which made me feel even worse. I was aware that there was something seriously wrong with me, but I had no idea what it was. And I was at a loss as to how to respond to the situation.”
When someone has these feelings for at least a month, there is a good possibility that they have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and they should get therapy from a specialist. The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might be mild or severe.
What exactly is Complex PTSD, though?
Some persons who have PTSD experience symptoms for the rest of their lives as a result of chronic exposure to traumatic events, which causes hormonal and systemic alterations in the brain’s chemistry. These changes can last a lifetime. Extreme stress or Complex PTSD are two other names for this condition. Complex PTSD symptoms don’t always go away entirely, and getting better from this form of the disorder can be a time-consuming and difficult process to manage.
People who were neglected, abused sexually, or abused as children are disproportionately likely to suffer from complex PTSD. These occurrences have the potential to have a disastrous impact on their emotional state, their memory, and their capacity for learning. In later years, it may also contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance misuse, eating disorders, inappropriate sexual behavior, and other behavioral issues. Individuals who suffer from Complex PTSD are at an increased risk of developing additional anxiety disorders, including but not limited to depression, panic, forgetfulness, personality disorders, or dissociation.
