How Do Health Care Professionals Assess Ptsd
For individuals who may be wondering if they should seek evaluation for PTSD by their medical or mental health professional, self-tests may be useful. The National Institute of Mental Health offers a self-test for PTSD. The assessment of PTSD can be difficult for practitioners to make since sufferers often come to the professional’s office complaining of symptoms other than anxiety associated with a traumatic experience. Those symptoms tend to include body symptoms , depression, or drug addiction. Studies of Iraq war veterans indicate that these individuals tend to show more physical symptoms of PTSD as opposed to describing the associated emotional problems.
Many people with PTSD may present with a history of making suicide attempts. In addition to depression and substance-use disorders, the diagnosis of PTSD often co-occurs with bipolar disorder , eating disorders, and other anxiety disorders like obsessive compulsive disorder , panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.
What Is Complex Post
The main symptoms of PTSD and complex PTSD are the same. But if you have complex PTSD you will have extra symptoms such as:
- constant issues with keeping a relationship,
- finding it difficult to feel connected to other people,
- constant belief that you are worthless with deep feelings of shame and guilt. This will be related to the trauma, and
- constant and severe emotional dysregulation. This means it is difficult to control your emotions
You are more likely to have complex PTSD if your trauma is linked to an event or series of events. The trauma will be very threatening or frightening. Most commonly from a trauma which you were not able to escape from such as:
- torture
- a long period of domestic abuse, or
- a long period of sexual or physical abuse
What is the treatment for complex PTSD?
You may respond to trauma focussed therapies if you have complex PTSD. Please see the section below on therapies and additional needs for PTSD.
There is some overlap of symptoms for complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder . If you have complex PTSD you may benefit from certain treatments that help people with BPD.
You can find more information about ‘Borderline Personality Disorder’ by clicking here.
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.
Read Also: Can I Get Disability For Stress
Causes Symptoms And Risks
PTSD is caused by experiencing or witnessing single, repeated or multiple events. For example:
- serious accidents
- physical and sexual assault abuse. This could include childhood or domestic abuse
- work-related exposure to trauma. Such as being in the army
- trauma related to serious health problems or childbirth
- war and conflict torture
Not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD.
The risk of getting PTSD depends on how the experience affects you. PTSD is more likely to develop if the traumatic event:
- is unexpected,
- Self help
How can the NHS help me?
You can speak to your GP about your concerns. They will be able to talk to you about treatment options and coping strategies. You dont have to do what your GP thinks that you should do. But you should listen to them.
Make sure that you understand the pros and cons of your treatment options before you make a decision.
Your treatment with be managed by your GP or the community mental health team . In some cases, your treatment maybe shared between both primary and secondary care. Healthcare professionals will agree who will monitor you.
Some people will get care under the Care Programme Approach . This means that you will have a care plan and care coordinator to make sure that you get the support that you need.
Look at the following section for more information on NHS treatment.
Adult social services
What other help is available?
There may be a different service available, such as employment or isolation support.
When To Seek Medical Advice
It’s normal to experience upsetting and confusing thoughts after a traumatic event, but in most people these improve naturally over a few weeks.
You should visit your GP if you or your child are still having problems about 4 weeks after the traumatic experience, or the symptoms are particularly troublesome.
Your GP will want to discuss your symptoms with you in as much detail as possible.
They’ll ask whether you have experienced a traumatic event in the recent or distant past and whether you have re-experienced the event through flashbacks or nightmares.
Your GP can refer you to mental health specialists if they feel you’d benefit from treatment.
You May Like: How Does Exercise Help With Stress
How Is Ptsd Treated
Many people have some symptoms of PTSD in the first couple of weeks after a traumatic event, but most recover on their own or with the help of family and friends.
For people whose symptoms last longer, PTSD is treated with psychotherapy or sometimes medicine, or both. Everyone’s PTSD is different, so if you have PTSD you might need to try a few different types of treatment before you find something that works for you.
Managing Your Recovery From Cptsd
There are no magic tricks or rabbits to pull out of a hat when it comes to healing from the effects of CPTSD. However, that doesnt mean healing cannot happen. Recovery does and will occur, but it requires steadfastness in the heart and a lot of guts to accomplish.
But hey, youve already survived the original traumatic event, this should be easier than that for someone as strong as you.
Below are three ways to survive psychotherapy to heal from CPTSD.
Read Also: How Does Stress Kill You
How Canada Is Helping
Canada is committed to addressing PTSD. We passed the Federal Framework on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act in June 2018. The Act recognizes that all Canadians can be at risk for PTSD and that a great number face higher risks because of the nature of their work.
The Act led to a National Conference on PTSD in April 2019. Experts from across the country, including people with lived experience, shared their knowledge and views. With their involvement, we have developed Canadas first Federal Framework on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Things To Remember As You Heal
- Avoid drugs and alcohol
- Limit screen time
- Don’t isolate yourself
Not following some of these tips can become a risk to your well-being and your overall recovery. The symptoms you are and have been experiencing can be overwhelming and debilitating. Eliminating or minimizing risks can help you find success in treatment and offer you a chance to experience a wonderful quality of life after going through a traumatic experience.
Don’t Miss: Can Stress Cause Back Spasms
Accumulated Traumatic Stress Disorder
Sometimes people develop post-traumatic stress disorder, not after one overwhelming trauma, but after many accumulated smaller traumas. If you donât know how to let go of stress, many repeated traumas can have the same effect as one big trauma. This is supported by the fact that adults who develop post-traumatic stress disorder often had painful or traumatic childhoods. In their case the final trauma is just the top layer of many accumulated traumas. Past traumas become interconnected so that one triggers another, and older traumas intensify newer ones.
Therefore, it can be helpful to think of post-traumatic stress as accumulated traumatic stress disorder. This emphasizes that the treatment involves dealing with layers of trauma not just the last trauma.
Tip : Support Ptsd Treatment With A Healthy Lifestyle
The symptoms of PTSD can be hard on your body so its important to take care of yourself and develop some healthy lifestyle habits.
Take time to relax. Relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, massage, or yoga can activate the bodys relaxation response and ease symptoms of PTSD.
Avoid alcohol and drugs. When youre struggling with difficult emotions and traumatic memories, you may be tempted to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. But substance use worsens many symptoms of PTSD, interferes with treatment, and can add to problems in your relationships.
Eata healthy diet. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day. Omega-3s play a vital role in emotional health so incorporate foods such as fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts into your diet. Limit processed food, fried food, refined starches, and sugars, which can exacerbate mood swings and cause fluctuations in your energy.
Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can trigger anger, irritability, and moodiness. Aim for somewhere between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Develop a relaxing bedtime ritual and make your bedroom as quiet, dark, and soothing as possible.
Don’t Miss: How Can You Tell If You Are Stressed
Pts Symptoms And Behaviors
If youre experiencing post-traumatic stress, your heart may race, hands shake, you may sweat or feel afraid and nervous. After the stressful event, you might avoid or be leery of engaging in that activity again, you may have a bad dream about the event you just experienced, or you may feel nervous in a situation that reminds you of the unpleasant event. Although they can be momentarily intense, symptoms of PTS usually subside a few days after the event and wont cause any prolonged meaningful interference with your life. One positive outcome of experiencing PTS may be that you behave more carefully in a potentially dangerous situation in the future.
A Closer Look At The Symptoms Of Complex Post
by Shirley Davis | Sep 30, 2019 | CPTSD, CPTSD Research, Symptoms of CPTSD, What is CPTSD |
There can be no doubt that the symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder are life-altering and debilitating. In this article, we begin a series outlining the symptoms of CPTSD a few at a time to help bring understanding that the world is correct, complex post-traumatic stress disorder is important and should be included in the DSMs next iteration so that providers of mental health services can better diagnose and treat it.
Today we are going to examine together the first six on the list of the most common symptoms listed above and conquer the rest in subsequent articles.
Read Also: How Can Exercise Help With Stress
Be Honest About Your Needs
Take time to help your loved ones understand what you are experiencing and be honest about how they can help. Ask them to be patient with you and remember to be patient with yourself as well. Setting and maintaining healthy boundaries around time or personal space can be important in relationships. Learning how to trust people and asking for help can be significant obstacles, but are very importantespecially with those who care for us most.
Living With Someone With Ptsd
PTSD doesnt only affect the person who has it. Its effects can affect those around them.
The anger, fear, or other emotions that people with PTSD are often challenged with can strain even the strongest relationships.
Learning all you can about PTSD can help you be a better advocate and supporter for your loved one. Joining a support group for family members of people living with PTSD can give you access to helpful tips from people whove been or are currently in your shoes.
Try to make sure that your loved one is getting proper treatment which can include therapy, medication, or a combination of the two.
Also, try to recognize and accept that living with someone who has PTSD isnt easy. There are challenges. Reach out for caregiver support if you feel the need to do so. Therapy is available to help you work through your personal challenges like frustration and worry.
Don’t Miss: How To Deal With Stress For Kids
Does Ptsd Always Develop After Experiencing Trauma
PTSD develops in some people, while in some, it doesnt. Almost everyone experiences the bodily response of fight-or-flight when the danger is right in front of them. Having experienced a wide range of reactions and emotions at that moment, many people recover from it in no time. While for others, the event stays imprinted in their mind.
Sometimes, it stays there for years or decades, within the closed doors, with no escape. But the good news is that PTSD is treatable.
Various therapies exist to treat PTSD, and you can fully recover and get back on track with everyday life after successful treatment.
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.
You May Like: Can You Get Dandruff From Stress
How Can People Cope With Ptsd
Some suggested ways for PTSD patients to cope with this illness include learning more about the disorder as well as talking to friends, family, professionals, and PTSD survivors for support. Joining a support group may be helpful. Other tips include reducing stress by using relaxation techniques , actively participating in treatment as recommended by professionals, increasing positive lifestyle practices , and minimizing negative lifestyle practices like substance abuse, social isolation, working to excess, and self-destructive or suicidal behaviors.
What Can I Do If I Am Not Happy With My Treatment
If you are not happy with your treatment you can:
- talk to your doctor about your treatment options,
- ask for a second opinion,
- ask a relative, friend or advocate to help you speak your doctor,
- contact Patient Advice and Liaison Service , or
- make a complaint.
There is more information about these options below.
Treatment options
You should first speak to your doctor about your treatment. Explain why you are not happy with it. You could ask what other treatments you could try.
Tell your doctor if there is a type of treatment that you would like to try. Doctors should listen to your preference. If you are not given this treatment, ask your doctor to explain why it is not suitable for you.
Second opinion
A second opinion means that you would like a different doctor to give their opinion about what treatment you should have. You can also ask for a second opinion if you disagree with your diagnosis.
You dont have a legal right to a second opinion. But your doctor should listen to your reason for wanting a second opinion.
Advocacy
An advocate is independent from the mental health service. They are free to use. They can be useful if you find it difficult to get your views heard.
There are different types of advocates available. Community advocates can support you to get a health professional to listen to your concerns. And help you to get the treatment that you would like.
You can find out more about:
Recommended Reading: What Can I Take To Reduce Stress
Avoidance And Emotional Numbing
Trying to avoid being reminded of the traumatic event is another key symptom of PTSD.
This usually means avoiding certain people or places that remind you of the trauma, or avoiding talking to anyone about your experience.
Many people with PTSD try to push memories of the event out of their mind, often distracting themselves with work or hobbies.
Some people attempt to deal with their feelings by trying not to feel anything at all. This is known as emotional numbing.
This can lead to the person becoming isolated and withdrawn, and they may also give up pursuing activities they used to enjoy.
There Is A Silver Lining To These Cloudy Symptoms
While complex post-traumatic stress disorder is curable per se, it is highly treatable. With the right care from a qualified therapist, CPTSD need not be a life-long, incapacitating disorder. There is a multitude of treatments available and once one has admitted they have a mental health condition and recognize its causes, healing can and will begin.
It is also important to remember that you are not alone. It is believed that 7-8% of Americans experience CPTSD. There are approximately 327 million people in the United States so that means approximately 23-26 million people experience the symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, please, seek out the help of a qualified mental health professional. The moment you pick up the phone to make your first appointment your healing journey will begin. It may be a long, dark, and difficult road but along the journey you will find not only the end of the symptoms that plague you but yourself as well.
When youre telling a story, the best stories, every character has an arc. Every single one. And that arc is usually about finding yourself or about at least finding something about yourself that you didnt know. ~ Roy Conli
Reference
Also Check: Can Stress Cause Chest And Back Pain
