PTSD-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -What It Is and What Can Help

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Article Title:

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PTSD-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -What It Is and What Can Help

Article Description:

====================

>Causes of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:</b> PTSD results from

a person experiencing an overwhelmingly stressful event that

exceeds their coping capacity. We typically associate PTSD with

catastrophic events such as war, natural disasters or nearly

losing one's life.

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730 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2006-11-21 10:24:00

Written By: Steve B.

Copyright: 2006

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PTSD-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -What It Is and What Can Help

Copyright © 2006 Steve B.

Psychotherapy Center

http://www.psychotherapy-center.com

Causes of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:

PTSD results from a person experiencing an overwhelmingly

stressful event that exceeds their coping capacity. We typically

associate PTSD with catastrophic events such as war, natural

disasters or nearly losing one's life. However, new research in

the Netherlands suggests that common but stressful life events

can often produce as many PTSD symptoms as incidents that meet

the clinical criteria.

Characteristics of PTSD include:

1. Exposure to an event in which the person experienced,

witnessed or was confronted with the threat of death, serious

injury or a threat to their physical well-being.

2. The person's response would also involve intense fear,

helplessness or horror.

3. The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced

(flashbacks, intrusive memories, nightmares, etc.)

4. The person persistently avoiding anything that they associate

with the trauma.

5. Persistent hyper-vigilance, sleep difficulties, irritability,

difficulty concentrating or other signs of increased arousal.

6. The disturbance causes impairment or distress in social,

occupational or other important areas of functioning. (Source:

Diagnostic Criteria from the DSM IV)

Although this is the formal definition of PTSD, it is my

experience that individuals can and do develop symptoms of post

traumatic stress disorder from events of a lesser magnitude.

Anything that sufficiently overwhelms an individual to the extent

that the intensity does not fade is traumatic. If the emotional

pain of their experience continues to affect them, then it is

traumatic. If we used a scale of 0 to 10, where zero equals no

distress and 10 equals the worst distress, anything that still

bothers you in the 7 to 10 range is traumatic. This level of

intensity does not typically dissipate without an effective

psychotherapeutic intervention. (See the " Highly Useful "

therapies below.)

Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

If several of the following symptoms are present more than once

per month after a trauma, the Anxiety Disorder Association of

America recommends that you seek professional help by consulting

a mental health professional.

Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can include:

* Recurrent and uncontrollable thoughts, memories or dreams

about the trauma

* Acting or feeling as if the trauma is happening in the present

* Intense emotional or physiological reactions to reminders of

the trauma

* Going to extreme lengths to avoid reminders of the trauma

* Inability to feel emotionally close to others

* Inability to remember important details about the trauma

* Difficulty falling or staying asleep

* Greater irritability than before the trauma

* Extreme wariness (e.g., avoiding crowded places)

* Being easily startled

Other symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can

include-Headache, fatigue, heart pounding, sweats (especially at

night), diarrhea, abdominal pain, muscular aches and pains, easy

startle, and frequent urination. (Source: B. Doyle, M.D.,

town Medical School)

PTSD is a treatable anxiety disorder. Although many people have

post traumatic stress syndrome, there is no need to suffer from

post traumatic stress in silence. A number of new emerging

treatments are helping to ease the burden of trauma and relieve

suffering. The following is a list of interventions worth

exploring.

Psychotherapy Treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

(PTSD):

1. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)-Highly Useful

2. The REMAP process-Highly Useful

See research results from the pilot study with trauma

survivors at:

http://www.psychotherapy-center.com/remap-HRV_research1.html

3. Thought Field Therapy (TFT)-Highly Useful

4. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)-Highly

Useful

5. NLP (Trauma & Phobia Technique)-Sometimes Useful

6. Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR)-Sometimes Useful

7. Cognitive Therapy-Most useful after treatment with the

therapies above

Exercise:

Research shows that exercise is useful in lowering general stress

levels and accompanying feelings of Depression-e.g. walking 3

miles in 45 minutes, 6 days per week. Some studies show exercise

as effective as antidepressants for mild to moderate depression.

Exercise is a useful adjunct in PTSD treatment.

Nutritional Supplements:

Some people use nutritional supplements to help the symptoms that

can accompany PTSD. Symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and

sleep disturbance may be responsive to a number of supplements.

1. SAM-e (S-Adenosyl-L-methionine) is sometimes useful in

alleviating accompanying depression symptoms.

2. GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is sometimes useful in easing

anxiety symptoms and improving sleep.

3. Inositol is sometimes useful in easing symptoms of depression,

anxiety and improving sleep.

Please remember that PTSD is a serious condition that requires

professional help. Consult a psychotherapist or physician who

has specialized training in trauma treatment. With proper care

and access to some of the latest advances in the field, a full

recovery is closer than ever before.

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Steve B. , LPC, LMSW, LMFT is a psychotherapist who

is an expert in the treatment of trauma (PTSD), anxiety

attacks and phobias. His practice is in Dallas and he

provides phone counseling worldwide. You can reach Steve

at 972-997-9955 or www.psychotherapy-center.com

copyright 2006, Steve B.