PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric or anxiety type of disorder that happens after a person is exposed to a catastrophic and/or traumatic event. A sudden death of a loved one or a bad experience during military combat, or surviving a natural calamity are some of the instances that may cause mental and emotional trauma to patients. Many patients will get healed physically and emotionally after some time but there are patients who continue to have sleepless nights and worrisome days even after several weeks or months. The bad experiences of people after a traumatic event will then produce various symptoms that become collectively known as PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder.
People who experience PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder typically become upset or severely affected when reminded about his/her traumatic incident. The memory alone of the unfortunate event can make people cry, angry, or depressed. There are also people who resort to isolating themselves and avoiding interactions with other people. Some people will also undergo depression and develop social problems involving friends and family. It is also common for people with PTSD to be unable to return to their normal work or daily life because of emotional and mental stress. Sleep disorders are also common for people with PTSD.
People with PTSD may recover over several sessions of psychotherapy. Aside from basic discussions with psychiatrists, various activities may be administered to help patients adjust their behaviour to similar traumatic events or scenarios. Some people will gain improvements with the help of medications to lower anxiety levels. In all cases, a strong support group from family and friends are crucial in a person’s recovery from a very traumatic event. This is also the reason why loved ones and friends of patients often have consultations with doctors and psychotherapists in terms of managing patients with PTSD.
