Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that occurs when a person goes through some life-threatening experiences like terrorist attacks, physical assault, natural calamities, and sexual assault at any age either at childhood or adulthood. Some people maintain this stress to themselves, but when given some time, the trauma is relieved. Individuals with these traumas find it hard to sleep and may relive their experiences through flashbacks or nightmares.
I previously met a lady aged 34 years, and she narrated her story living with PTSD and how she has continued to suffer the disorder. The lady did not have children as she had lived with fears until she was diagnosed with PTSD and treated. The lady was beautiful young and talented, and anybody thought that she was living a perfect life was diagnosed with a terrorizing disorder of mental illness. Several incidences triggered the trauma that she went through in her childhood; physical, mental, sexual abuse and traumatizing attack at knifepoint that made her believe she would die. The lady said that she had no safe place even her own home. She filed reports to the police and rape counsellors visited her at the hospital, but she declined their offer as she thought she did not need any of their advice. That was the most damaging decision for her life. For months she had the flashback of these traumatizing events as well as nightmares. She could find comfort when sleeping, and she obsessively checked locks, windows, and doors.
At seventeen she became a victim of another attack that made her unable to leave her apartment and ended losing her beauty and therapy career. The lady did not have symptoms of trauma, but a time came when she felt insecure about her daughter that someone would harm her, PTSD had retriggered. She could see violent images of tormenting scenarios every time that she closed her eyes. She lost the ability to focus and give attention to simple tasks that she did not complete. She did not socialize much with the people around her thus did not have friends as she felt alone and disoriented forgetting herself. She would panic every time that she appeared before a crowd, and this led to a loss of another career. She could not leave her house again and lived indoors.
A time came when she was diagnosed with PTSD, and she could not help to explain the relief that she felt in her heart and her mind. She was in the unconscious state until the psychological solutions brought her deep thoughts and panics to a conscious state. She undertook behavioural therapy as well as her medication which enabled her to gain control of her life again. She has now regained her blissful state and determined to make her career as an artist success. For now, she can resist factors that lead to PTSD as she is no longer at the mercy of the disorder due to proper medication. As the lady spoke, it was evident that situations that threaten one’s life lead to stress, thus causing trauma, PTSD. There are remedies for PTSD as its effects are tormenting and traumatizing. Primary outcomes include panic and recurring thoughts of these distressful events. The solution for PTSD is the relief which is recommended by the psychologist. It’s never too late to seek help.
Questions
How do you feel when you appear in crowd areas?
What are your most occurring thoughts when you sleep?
References
Gourley, S. J. (2016). Educating Spouses May Be Key to Helping Veterans. Montview Liberty University Journal of Undergraduate Research, 2(1), 7.
Möller, A. T., Bäckström, T., Söndergaard, H. P., & Helström, L. (2014). Identifying risk factors for PTSD in women seeking medical help after rape. PloS one, 9(10), e111136.