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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) B once called shell shock B affects hundreds of thousands of people who have survived earthquakes, airplane crashes, terrorist bombings, inner-city violence, domestic abuse, rape, war, genocide and other disasters, both natural and human made. The Facts Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has often been misunderstood or misdiagnosed even though the disorder has very specific symptoms. Ten percent of the population has been affected at some point by clinically diagnosable PTSD. Still even more people show some symptoms of the disorder. Although it was once thought to be mostly a disorder of veterans who had been involved in heavy combat, researchers now know that PTSD also affects both female and male civilians, and that it strikes more females than males. In some cases the symptoms of PTSD disappear with time, whereas in others, the symptoms persist for many years. PTSD often occurs with B or leads to B other psychiatric illnesses, such as depression. Everyone who experiences trauma does not require treatment; some recover with the help of family, friends, or clergy. But many do need professional treatment to recover from the psychological damage that can result from experiencing, witnessing, or participating in an overwhelmingly traumatic event. The Symptoms PTSD usually appears within three months of the trauma, but sometimes the disorder appears later. The symptoms of PTSD fall into three categories:
The Treatment Today, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals have good success in treating the very real and painful effects of PTSD. These professionals use a variety of treatment methods to help people with PTSD to work through their trauma and pain. Behavior therapy focuses on correcting the painful and intrusive patterns of behavior and thought by teaching people with PTSD relaxation techniques and examining (and challenging) the mental processes that are causing the problem. Psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on helping the individual examine personal values and how behavior and experience during the traumatic event affected them. Family therapy may also be recommended because the behavior of spouse and children may result from and affect the individual with PTSD. Discussion groups or peer-counseling groups encourage survivors of similar traumatic events to share their experiences and reactions those experiences. Group members help one another realize that many people would have done the same thing and felt the same emotions. Medication can help to control the symptoms of PTSD. The symptom relief that medication provides allows most patients to participate more effectively in psychotherapy when their condition may otherwise prohibit it. Antidepressant medications may be particularly helpful in treating the core symptoms of PTSD B especially intrusive symptoms. ############ |
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