Post-traumatic stress disorder and the reasons for the appearance of such a condition. The article will discuss the features of the voiced mental illness, and also will recommend ways to solve the problem that has arisen. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition in which a person finds himself after some kind of stress. Everyone reacts differently to critical situations, but such life cataclysms do not unambiguously evoke positive feelings. You need to figure out how to help yourself as much as possible with PTSD when emotions get out of control.
Causes of PTSD
Before trying to solve a problem, you need to understand for yourself the origins of its formation. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can appear due to the following provocative factors:
- Natural disasters … In this case, one immediately remembers the cult film by Alexander Mitta "The Crew", which colorfully demonstrates the situation during the earthquake. The panic and the endured horror had a detrimental effect on the witnesses of such a natural phenomenon, remaining in their memory forever. Those who have experienced the full power of an angry nature may further face the problem of PTSD.
- Technogenic disasters … A striking example of such a cataclysm is the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Many people have suffered from this tragedy, which swept a black cloud over many European countries. PTSD is not unusual for those who have witnessed a man-made disaster.
- Fighting … War always carries a destructive force, after which a large number of people are in a long-term stressful state. Only sadists get pleasure from watching the mass extermination of the population, because it is inherently contrary to human nature. War is a serious reason for the victim to experience such a negative phenomenon as post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Postponed violence … Actions directed against the individual can have psychological, physical and sexual connotations. A person in some life situations becomes a victim of an aggressor, whose manipulations can cause serious harm to the psyche of the object of persecution. Sometimes you can kill even with a word if it significantly affects human dignity.
- Terrorist act … In this case, there is a real threat to the life of the victim of illegal actions from the side of criminals. Being on the verge of death, a person often experiences a whole range of negative emotions. The result is post-traumatic stress disorder, which is then extremely difficult to get rid of.
- Taking hostage … Any encroachment on the freedom and life of a person is a serious stress for the object of the abduction. The psyche of any individual can be tested when this kind of violence occurs.
- Serious disease … At the same time, the body of the victim is weakened, which cannot but affect the psychological state of the person. He is depressed and afraid for his future, because gloomy thoughts periodically visit a patient with serious pathology.
- A desperate situation … A person creates his own destiny, but in some cases it is almost impossible to change anything in life. This can relate to anything: from the lack of home with a tyrant spouse to the inability to protect yourself from a source of stress.
- Depression predisposition … Each person is endowed with their own personal qualities, which affects the model of his behavior. Melancholic people are initially most susceptible to such a phenomenon as post-traumatic mental disorder. Cheerful people deal with stress more easily than depressed individuals with anxious thoughts.
- Dangerous job … An occupation that is constantly associated with risk leaves an imprint on the psychological state of any person. EMERCOM employees, combatants and firefighters know firsthand what a critical situation is. Being constantly in tension, brave men, nevertheless, can become a victim of the described mental pathology.
- Lack of support from loved ones … Experts recommend periodically staying alone with your thoughts, which allows you to understand the problem that has arisen. However, understanding dear people often helps to overcome stress in a fairly short period of time. In the absence of this factor, an exacerbation of a critical state occurs in a subject who has experienced a shock.
- Death of a loved one … We will all leave this world someday, but it always hurts to lose your dear creature. At the same time, everyone reacts differently to the grief that has fallen, but it is very difficult to adequately behave in this situation. You can hang out in public and then go crazy with the loss alone. The death of a loved one is not just a great stress, but also the loss of a landmark in life for a certain time.
Important! With all of the listed causes of post-traumatic disorder, a person can be significantly affected. Very often, in this case, he cannot do only with the support of loved ones, which entails treatment with a specialist.
The main symptoms of PTSD in humans
It is quite easy to figure out a person who has undergone stress. Psychologists focus on the following symptoms of PTSD:
- Fear of crowded places … A person who witnessed a terrorist act begins to fear being in places of large crowds of people. If at the same time he is physically hurt, then further fears begin to grow like a snowball. The case may end with demo-phobia, which can be eliminated by an exceptionally competent specialist.
- Obsessive thoughts … In a conversation, the victim recalls over and over again the critical situation in which he once found himself. This becomes a fix idea with the cyclical nature of such stories, which soon begin to strain the interlocutors.
- Increased excitability … In this case, the matter does not concern the temperament of the person with which nature has endowed him. Choleric people are quick-tempered and actively demonstrate their feelings in front of others. However, for a phlegmatic person, such behavior is inorganic, which may indicate the experience of stress.
- Isolation … This is the flip side of the coin compared to the increased excitability of a person after suffering stress. The victim closes in himself, trying to protect himself from the whole world. In the end, he makes himself an outcast, because not everyone wants to communicate with an eternally gloomy person.
- Sleep disturbance … Popular wisdom says that he sleeps peacefully if his conscience is clear. However, an overexcited person may suffer from insomnia after tragic events for him. If he manages to forget for a while, then nightmares and difficult memories completely absorb the victim's mind.
- Fear of the opposite sex … A victim of sexual violence can for a long time (sometimes forever) refuse to search for a partner to live together. Post-traumatic stress disorder after a tragedy is a frequent occurrence against the background of an experienced misfortune.
- Loss of interest in life … A once cheerful person can give up his favorite pastime and isolate himself from friends. This condition is very dangerous for the human being, because it can destroy the life of the victim.
- Self-flagellation … The victim of life's circumstances over and over again scrolls what happened to him in all the details and details. He is haunted by the question, and what would have happened with his other behavior. It is extremely difficult to convince a subject with such a model of behavior, and sometimes it is pointless.
The listed symptoms clearly indicate that a person after a stressful situation can automatically turn into a victim of the circumstances that have occurred. Even a strong-minded person is not immune from this, because stress is a dangerous thing for the psychological state of people.
Peculiarities of PTSD Treatment
If, after six months after the tragic events, the state of the victim does not change, then the fight against mental illness should be started. Treatment of PTSD can be done in different ways, but it should be started only after consulting a specialist.
Medication for PTSD
In this case, the doctor can prescribe a complex of therapy in order to solve the problem that has arisen. List of medicines:
- Antidepressants … At the same time, self-medication is out of the question, because it deals with serious and unpredictable side effects of drugs. They are used to get rid of depression that may arise after a dangerous situation. After examination and discussion with a specialist, sedatives (Doxepin, Trimipramine, Azafen), stimulants (Heptral, Imipramine, Moclobemide) or balanced medications (Pyrazidol, Maprotiline, Clomipramine) may be prescribed.
- Hypnotic … In case of sleep disturbance during the period of post-traumatic disorder, there is an urgent need for such a remedy. However, in this case, an independent choice of medication is unacceptable, because it can lead to disastrous consequences. There is a fairly large list of sleeping pills that can be purchased at any pharmacy without a prescription. After consulting a doctor, you can use such effective remedies as Melaxen, Donormil, Persen-forte or Fitosedan. In this case, it is worth remembering about a possible allergic reaction to the components of the sounded drugs.
- Antipsychotics … In some cases, these medicines cannot be dispensed with, but they are used exclusively in critical situations. The danger of self-medication with such drugs is that they belong to the group of psychotropic drugs. Antipsychotics will help with stress, which by its nature is close to mental insanity after a strong mental shock.
Psychological advice for treating PTSD
Psychology is a relatively young science, but experts in its field have developed certain recommendations for dealing with impaired consciousness after trauma:
- Group psychotherapy … It is always easier to get over a problem when you communicate with a person who understands you. The help of loved ones is very important in case of a voiced problem, because loneliness is not a good solution for PTSD. However, family support does not replace the involvement of those who have gone through the same ordeals.
- Family psychotherapy … You also need to be able to sympathize and support, so as not to aggravate the situation with wrong actions. Such sessions will prepare the family for competent assistance to its representative. Only by combining your efforts can you really return a loved one to a full-fledged existence.
- Change of the usual way of life … Very often, everything that indirectly or directly reminds of unpleasant or tragic events increases the person's frustration after the received mental trauma. At the same time, you can try to get rid of such provocative factors, if there is such an opportunity. A change of scenery will also help, but not always what you really want to do. However, anyone can find a new hobby for themselves to somehow distract themselves from sad memories. It is necessary to use everything when it comes to dealing with depression and psychological trauma.
How to treat PTSD - watch the video:
PTSD is the beginning of the end for every self-sufficient person. It is capable of destroying the life of any person, putting a bold cross on his plans and aspirations. Therefore, it is necessary to give a decisive rebuff to the protracted blues after the tragic events experienced.
