Support Is Important For Recovery
Many people experience some of the symptoms of PTSD in the first two weeks after a traumatic event, but most recover on their own or with the help of family and friends. For this reason, formal treatment for PTSD does not usually start for at least two or more weeks after a traumatic experience.
It is important during the first few days and weeks after a traumatic event to get whatever help is needed. This may include accessing information, people and resources that can help you to recover. Support from family and friends may be all that is needed. Otherwise, a doctor is the best place to start to get further help.
Symptoms Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & C
The symptoms of PTSD and C-PTSD can have a significant impact on your daily life.
Each persons experience of PTSD is unique to them and people react to traumatic experiences in a variety of ways: you might have experienced a similar type of trauma to someone else, yet be affected in a different way.
Many people who experience a trauma will experience some symptoms which dissipate after a number of weeks. However if those symptoms continue for longer than a month, and are affecting your day-to-day life, PTSD or C-PTSD may be present. In around 15% of people, there may be a delay of months or even years before symptoms even start to appear.
PTSD and C-PTSD symptoms can vary in intensity over time. Some people with PTSD learn to manage their symptoms and so have long periods when their symptoms are less noticeable, followed by periods where they get worse. Other people have constant severe symptoms, or you may only have symptoms when youre stressed in general, or when you run into reminders of what you went through.;
PTSD and C-PTSD symptoms vary from person to person,; but these are some common signs and symptoms that you might recognise:
Re-experiencing Symptoms
Re-experiencing is the most typical symptom of PTSD & C-PTSD. This is when a person involuntarily and vividly relives the traumatic event
Thoughts and feelings can trigger these symptoms, as well as words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event.
Avoidance Symptoms
Alertness and Reactivity Symptoms
How Is Ptsd Treated In A Child
Treatment will depend on your childs symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.
PTSD can be treated. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important. It can ease symptoms and enhance your childs normal development. It can also improve your childs quality of life.
Treatment may include:
-
Cognitive behavioral therapy. A child learns skills to handle his or her anxiety and to master the situation that led to the PTSD.
-
Medicines for depression or anxiety. These may help some children feel calmer.
Recovery from PTSD varies. Some children recover within 6 months. Others have symptoms that last much longer. Recovery depends on the childs inner strengths, coping skills, and ability to bounce back. It is also affected by the level of family support. Parents play a vital role in treatment.
Also Check: Does Stress Cause Brain Tumors
What Are The Symptoms Of Post
There are four types of PTSD symptoms, but they may not be the same for everyone. Each person experiences symptoms in their own way. The types are
- Re-experiencing symptoms, where something reminds you of the trauma and you feel that fear again. Examples include
- Flashbacks, which cause you to feel like you are going through the event again
- Nightmares
- Frightening thoughts
The symptoms usually start soon after the traumatic event. But sometimes they may not appear until months or years later. They also may come and go over many years.
When To See A Doctor
Many people experience symptoms after a traumatic event, such as crying, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating, but this is not necessarily PTSD.
Prompt treatment with a qualified professional can help prevent the symptoms from getting worse.
This should be considered if:
- symptoms persist for more than a month
- symptoms are severe enough to prevent the person returning to normal life
- the person considers harming themselves
Treatment usually involves psychotherapy and counseling, medication, or a combination.
Options for psychotherapy will be specially tailored for managing trauma.
They include:
Cognitive processing therapy : Also known as cognitive restructuring, the individual learns how to think about things in a new way. Mental imagery of the traumatic event may help them work through the trauma, to gain control of the fear and distress.
Exposure therapy: Talking repeatedly about the event or confronting the cause of the fear in a safe and controlled environment may help the person feel they have more control over their thoughts and feelings. The effectiveness of this treatment has been questioned, however, and it must be carried out with care, or there may be a risk of worsening of the symptoms.
Don’t Miss: Can Stress Cause Headaches For Days
A Definition Of Cptsd
Before we discuss the first six symptoms on our list, it is important to, once more, define complex traumatic-stress disorder.
For a good definition of CPTSD, we turned to;Beauty After Bruises,;an organization that offers outreach focused on adult survivors of childhood trauma who have complex PTSD with or without the presence of a dissociative disorder. Their definition of complex post-traumatic stress disorder as follows:
Complex PTSD comes in response to chronic traumatization over the course of months or, more often, years. This can include emotional,;physical, and/or sexual abuses,;domestic violence,;living in a war zone,;being held captive,;human trafficking, and other organized rings of abuse, and more.;While there are exceptional circumstances where adults develop C-PTSD, it is most often seen in those whose trauma occurred in childhood.;For those who are older, being at the complete control of another person , coupled with no foreseeable end in sight, can break down the psyche, the survivors sense of self, and affect them on this deeper level. For those who go through this as children, because the brain is still developing and theyre just beginning to learn who they are as an individual, understand the world around them, and build their first relationships severe trauma interrupts the entire course of their psychologic and neurologic development.
That long definition gives an insight into the hell that is complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
What Causes Ptsd In A Child
A traumatic event that triggers PTSD may be:
-
Something that happened to the child
-
Something that happened to someone close to the child
-
Something the child saw
A child or teen may suffer from PTSD after one of these traumatic events:
-
Bad accidents, such as car or train wrecks
-
Invasive medical procedures, especially for children younger than age 6
-
Animal bites
-
Natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes
-
Manmade tragedies, such as bombings
-
Violent personal attacks, such as a mugging, rape, torture, or kidnapping
-
Physical abuse
Don’t Miss: How Does Stress Contribute To Heart Disease
Ptsd And Trauma Treatment In Tennessee
At Cumberland Heights, weve been changing lives since 1966. We understand the connection between trauma, mental illness and addiction. It is our mission to help people to fully recover for life; thats why weve created a curriculum rooted in proven, evidence-based modalities. Contact us for more information about our approach to trauma treatment.
How Is Ptsd Diagnosed In A Child
Not every child or teen who goes through a trauma gets PTSD. PTSD is diagnosed only if symptoms keep happening for more than 1 month and are negatively affecting the childs life and how he or she functions. For those with PTSD, symptoms most often start within 3 months after the traumatic event. But they can also start months or years later.
A child psychiatrist or mental health expert can diagnose PTSD. He or she will do a mental health evaluation. ;
Also Check: Can Stress Make You Feel Sick
What Are The Symptoms Of Ptsd In A Child
Children and teens with PTSD feel a lot of emotional and physical distress when exposed to situations that remind them of the traumatic event. Some may relive the trauma over and over again. They may have nightmares and disturbing memories during the day. They may also:
-
Have problems sleeping
-
Feel depressed or grouchy
-
Feel nervous, jittery, or alert and watchful
-
Lose interest in things they used to enjoy. They may seem detached or numb and are not responsive.
-
Have trouble feeling affectionate
-
Be more aggressive than before, even violent
-
Stay away from certain places or situations that bring back memories
-
Have flashbacks. These can be images, sounds, smells, or feelings. The child may believe the event is happening again.
-
Lose touch with reality
-
Reenact an event for seconds or hours or, in rare cases, days
-
Have problems in school
-
Worry about dying at a young age
-
Act younger than their age, such as thumb-sucking or bedwetting
-
Have physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches
Setting Recovery As A Goal For Treatment
Although co-occurring problems may exist, it is vital for your trauma-informed therapist to help you understand they will get better as you work through what happened in your past.
The other symptoms or disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are not the overarching concerns, but rather effects from working on your recovery from complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
As many understand, the expectation is recovery.
Recommended Reading: Is Stress Bad For Ms
Recommended Reading: Can Your Chest Hurt From Stress
When Should I Call My Childs Healthcare Provider
-
Feels extreme depression, fear, anxiety, or anger toward him or herself or others
-
Feels out of control
-
Hears voices that others dont hear
-
Sees things that others dont see
-
Cant sleep or eat for 3 days in a row
-
Shows behavior that concerns friends, family, or teachers, and others express concern about this behavior and ask you to get help
PTSD increases risk for other mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thinking.
Experiencing Or Witnessing A Life
PTSD can strike anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event. That means not just war, but sexual assault, natural disasters like earthquakes or hurricanes, mass shootings, motor vehicle accidents, and more.
There has to be exposure to some sort of very extreme type of horrible event,” says Jack Nitschke, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Something has to happen in the external world.
Not everyone who has gone through trauma will develop PTSD. Alternately, for some people, learning about violence or tragedy that happened to someone elselike the murder of a family member or friendcan lead to the disorder.
Recommended Reading: How Do You Reduce Anxiety And Stress
Ptsd Symptoms In Children
Children and adolescents may exhibit slightly different symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder than adults. These symptoms include:
- Severe separation anxiety fear of being separated from their parents
- Somber play that showcases a revival of the traumatic events
- Phobias unrelated to the traumatic event
- Acting out the traumatic experience through drawings, social play, or stories
- Loss of previously acquired skills
- Sleep problems and nightmares not related to the event
- Irritability and aggression
- Aches and pains that have no apparent cause
Who Is At Risk Of Ptsd
Anyone who has been through an experience that was intensely scary, dangerous, or life threatening is at risk of PTSD. Experiencing this type of trauma is common: At least 4 in 5 people experience some type of trauma in their lifetimes. The majority of people who experience a trauma do not develop PTSD. The more serious the trauma was or the more directly it affected you, the higher your risk of developing PTSD afterward.
Military veterans as a group are at very high risk of PTSD. About 14% of veterans of the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan developed PTSD after returning home.
Women are about twice as likely as men to develop PTSD. Women who have gone through trauma, including women in the military, are more likely than men whoâve experienced trauma to develop PTSD. Among women who are raped, about half develop PTSD.
Also Check: What Are The Signs Of Stress
Don’t Miss: Is Stress Bad For Ms
Arousal And Reactivity Symptoms Include:
- Being easily startled
- Feeling tense or on edge
- Having difficulty sleeping
- Having angry outbursts
Arousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind one of the traumatic events. These symptoms can make the person feel stressed and angry. They may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.
How Can I Help A Friend Or Relative Who Has Ptsd
If you know someone who may be experiencing PTSD, the most important thing you can do is to help that person get the right diagnosis and treatment. Some people may need help making an appointment with their health care provider; others may benefit from having someone accompany them to their health care visits.
If a close friend or relative is diagnosed with PTSD, you can encourage them to follow their treatment plan. If their symptoms do not get better after 6 to 8 weeks, you can encourage them to talk to their health care provider. You also can:
- Offer emotional support, understanding, patience, and encouragement.
- Learn about PTSD so you can understand what your friend is experiencing.
- Listen carefully. Pay attention to the persons feelings and the situations that may trigger PTSD symptoms.
Recommended Reading: What Are The Signs Of Stress
Types Of Ptsd Treatments And Which Is Right For You
4. Lifestyle: After a trauma, some individuals go to great lengths to avoid reminders of the event. For instance, they may isolate and give up hobbies or activities they used to enjoy. The purpose of this may be to feel safer and less vulnerable, and to reduce reminders of the trauma. For example, a combat veteran who was bombed in a crowd oversees may avoid concerts despite his love of music, in order to feel safe.
5. Coping: Ineffective coping strategies may be adopted after trauma. For instance, an individual may begin drinking alcohol or using drugs to cope with their symptoms. Often, these unhealthy ways of coping help the individual temporarily avoid reminders of the traumatic event.
In the first few weeks following a trauma, most people will experience at least a few post-trauma reactions and symptoms. However, if you experience these changes for more than one month, if they interfere with your daily life, or if you have thoughts of hurting yourself, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible.
To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
References
1. Kessler, R. C., Sonnega, A., Bromet, E., Hughes, M., & Nelson, C. B. . Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52, 1048-1060.
2. American Psychiatric Association. . Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders . Washington, DC: Author.
Treatment For Children And Teenagers With Ptsd
For children and teenagers who are struggling to recover after a traumatic event, the recommended treatment is trauma-focussed cognitive behavioural therapy . This treatment involves:
- learning about the type of traumatic event experienced and common reactions to trauma
- teaching how to relax and manage anxiety
- helping to create a coherent story of the traumatic event, and correct any unhelpful beliefs about the event such as self-blame
- gradual exposure to trauma-related objects or situations that are feared or avoided
- helping to get back into everyday activities.
You May Like: Does Stress Cause Weight Gain Or Loss
Ptsd Causes Risk Factors And Diagnosis
You are more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder if the traumatic event you endure is life-threatening or severely traumatic to your personal safety. Additionally, the more exposure to the event or prolonged exposure to a traumatic event is also more likely to increase your chances of developing PTSD. Other risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder include:
- Family history of PTSD and depression
- History of physical or sexual abuse
- High level of stress in your daily life
- Lack of coping skills
- Careers that exposure you to traumatic experiences
- Experiencing previous traumatic events, especially early in ones life
- The extent that the traumatic event was uncontrollable, inescapable, or unexpected
- Type of traumatic event intentional, human-afflicted harm is more likely to result in PTSD than an act of God
Diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder is completed by medical professionals. Your diagnosis will be based on psychological evaluations of your signs and symptoms. To be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, you must meet the criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychological Association. In addition to experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, you must experience one or more of the following after exposure to the traumatic event:
The Severity Of These Six Symptoms
Reading the symptoms above it is easy to see how someone might say that they can be alleviated easily through self-talk or self-awareness. However, conquering such symptoms is much harder than it may seem.
Having flashbacks, reliving the trauma, and avoiding situations that may cause either or both of them is disabling. People who do all three, as they go together, have a challenging time holding down a steady job, dealing with others, or socializing with others.
Hyperarousal and the dizziness with nausea that often accompany it hold survivors back from being able to relax as they live in fear all the time. It is because of these symptoms that survivors may feel the world is too dangerous and that they must hide by isolating, dissociating, or avoidance behavior.
Recommended Reading: How To Go On Stress Leave
