Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological syndrome in which a person keeps “reliving” some traumatic event from the past, such as having participated in a war, a robbery or having suffered sexual abuse, for example.
Although fear is a normal reaction of the body during and after trauma situations, post-traumatic stress causes excessive and constant fear, which prevents the person from carrying out daily activities, even after several months or years.
Post-traumatic stress can have consequences for a person’s life, including problems with family, friends or at work, as well as a greater possibility of substance abuse. Therefore, it is important that a psychologist is consulted when symptoms of post-traumatic stress are noticed.
Main symptoms
Some symptoms that may indicate post-traumatic stress are:
- Intense memories;
- Increased heart rate and excessive sweating;
- Constant frightening thoughts and/or nightmares;
- Frequent anxiety;
- Difficulty sleeping;
- Attacks of rage;
- Avoid going to places that remind you of the traumatic situation;
- Avoid thinking or talking about what happened;
- Feel less interest in pleasant activities that cause pleasure;
- Feel guilt;
- Negative thoughts about yourself.
These symptoms must be present for at least 1 month and not be caused by another possible organic disease for the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress to be considered.
Causes of post traumatic stress
Post-traumatic stress disorder can appear from the age of 6 until adulthood, and is normally associated with situations such as:
- Having experienced a traumatic event;
- Being repeatedly exposed to details of a traumatic event, such as living next to a hospital and seeing ambulances with injured people, for example;
- Witnessing a traumatic event that happened to another person (kidnapping or assault, for example);
- Knowing about a traumatic event that happened to someone close to you.
These disorders are more common in women and when the traumatic event is related to physical injuries such as beatings, burns and sexual violence, for example.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The main factor for diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder is the history of a traumatic event that put life at risk, which must be evaluated by a psychologist or psychiatrist.
In addition, the psychiatrist may request other evaluations to rule out organic illnesses such as alcohol and substance abuse and other psychological disorders, such as depression or panic syndrome, which may have symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress.
How the treatment is carried out
The treatment of post-traumatic stress should always be guided and evaluated by a psychologist or psychiatrist, as it needs to be adapted to each person. In most cases, treatment begins with psychotherapy sessions, using the method of cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure and desensitization, which should begin as quickly as possible and be short, lasting an average of 12 sessions.
The psychiatrist may also recommend the use of medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as sertraline and paroxetine, which help to alleviate the symptoms of sleep disorders and panic attacks, as well as beta blockers, such as propranolol to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety.
Bibliography
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th Edition. United States of America: Arlington, 2014. 271-280.
- PAPADAKIS, Maxine; McPHEE, Stephen. Clinical diagnosis and treatment 2017. 56 a. México: McGraw Hill, 2017. 1051-1052.
