1. Acknowledge That Severe Trauma Causes Psychological Damage
The human mind is a remarkable organ, both resilient and adaptive when faced with difficult challenges. In most cases, traumatic experiences are processed and handled in constructive or creative ways. However, there are times when the trauma a person experiences is so severe that the mind cannot adapt. When this occurs, pathological symptoms manifest and the turmoil known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder forms. PTSD has two major stages, and persons suffering with it tend to waver between these phases hours or even months after the primary stressor occurs.
The first stage is called avoidance. The traumatized individual enters a state of denial and tries to minimize the importance of their struggle for control. These people feel an emotional numbness along with a loss of interest in their lives. Repression is not uncommon, wherein the person "forgets" what happened and seems unable to understand why she feels as she does. Important relationships may be disrupted at this stage, mostly due to the traumatized person's feelings of detachment from others. Frequent daydreams and excessive drug abuse accompany those with PTSD in avoidance.
The second stage is called re-experiencing or intrusion. Beneath the strain, a person's mind loses the ability to deny the trauma and instead allows elements of the stressor to flood his senses. These people seem edgy and high-strung. Their emotions are a shattered collection of disorganized feelings. They may cry without reason in one moment, and then exhibit exploding rage the next. Sleeping and concentrating become increasingly difficult tasks. Elements of the traumatic experience begin to invade their thoughts, whether through nightmares, unwanted mental images or hallucinations. Compulsively forced to relive their trauma, persons with PTSD in the intrusion stage find themselves unable to think of anything else.
2. Understand the Various Types of PTSD
PTSD has four main types associated with the symptoms listed above. Although extremity varies, these differences center on the duration of symptoms and the time of their onset.
Although technically not PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder shares similar symptoms, occurs within 4 weeks of the traumatic event and lasts between 2 days and 1 month. This form is generally mild and is treated with the greatest success.
Acute PTSD is initially severe but subsides within 12 weeks. This is a rapid form of the disorder and can generally be managed with positive results.
Chronic PTSD, as its name implies, is an ongoing struggle with symptoms that last 3 months or more. Treatment focuses on cognition (thoughts and perceptions) and may include medication.
Delayed-Onset PTSD is the worst form and the hardest to treat. Initially dormant, it emerges 6 months or more after the trauma was experienced, and then begins to manifest severe symptoms. Persons with the delayed subtype frequently have additional psychological disorders resulting from PTSD, such as drug addiction, depression, debilitating anxiety and even psychosis.
3. Remember That Other Disorders May Cloak PTSD Symptoms
All too often, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder goes undiagnosed because patients fail to report significant traumas such as rape, muggings, fires, hurricanes, military combat or emotional abuse. In other cases, drug addiction may be seen as the primary crisis rather than as a symptom of underlying PTSD. When psychosis occurs and hallucinations are experienced, the patient's disassociation may be attributed to psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia or paranoia.
Similarly, depressive and anxiety disorders may be focused upon. In reality, they are merely responses to the traumatic event. For this reason, persons exhibiting signs of PTSD should always tell their mental health professionals of significant traumas that have occurred in their lives so that this option may be explored. If the person with PTSD is in the avoidance stage, friends or family members should share this information on his behalf.
