A significant amount of military activity over the last two decades has increased the general awareness of something known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This anxiety disorder is common among combat soldiers returning home upon completion of their duty. Nevertheless, understand that PTSD is not limited just to combat soldiers; it can strike anyone who has been emotionally traumatised.
Like other anxiety disorders, PTSD can be very successfully treated if correctly diagnosed. However, it can be debilitating if left untreated. As you read the following paragraphs, be careful to consider whether you or someone you love is suffering from this very common disorder.
If so, we want to help. Our organisation exists for the sole purpose of assisting those in need of help for any number of treatable disorders or addictions. We work with the best addiction rehab clinics and treatment centres all over the UK. We even have working relationships with facilities abroad. We can help you find the treatment you need as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Basics of PTSD
As previously mentioned, post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder generally caused by a traumatic event the victim finds especially stressful, frightening, or horrific. The reality that war is hell explains why so many returning combat soldiers suffer from the disorder.
The list of potentially traumatic events capable of triggering PTSD is extensive. Here are some of the more common ones cited by the medical community:
- serious car crashes
- personal assaults and violent crimes
- witnessing a violent death
- extreme natural disasters
- physical and sexual abuse
- military combat.
It is difficult for the medical community to pinpoint whether or not someone who experiences a traumatising effect will develop PTSD. However, it is estimated that one in three people who experience such events will eventually suffer from the disorder to some extent. The tricky part is when the disorder will set in.
For some people, PTSD begins to establish itself as soon as the traumatising event is over. However, that’s not always the case. Symptoms may not manifest themselves for weeks, months, or even years. For this reason, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of the disorder if you or a loved one has undergone a traumatising event that could lead to PTSD in the future.
Symptoms of PTSD
In discussing the symptoms of PTSD, it should be first noted that just about everyone would be upset to some degree in the hours and days following a traumatising event. That does not necessarily mean PTSD is inevitable. Over time, most of us get over the trauma without professional assistance and are able to lead normal lives thereafter.
Someone unable to manage the stress of a traumatising event is a good candidate for PTSD. He or she will exhibit many, if not all, of the following symptoms:
- recurring thoughts, flashbacks and dreams of the traumatising event
- purposeful avoidance of circumstances that will trigger painful memories
- a feeling of emotional numbness; lack of the love emotion
- excessive pessimism or feelings of hopelessness
- difficulty concentrating for long periods of time
- trouble falling asleep; chronic insomnia
- general irritability; frequent outbursts of anger
- increased vigilance for personal safety; being more easily startled.
According to the NHS, four out of every five PTSD patients also suffer from other mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, panic attack disorder, phobias, and drug or alcohol abuse. These other conditions can be the result of PTSD or occur simultaneously.
Treatment for PTSD
The complexity of post-traumatic stress disorder makes it difficult to pinpoint a specific type of rehab treatment that works for everyone. Complicating matters is the fact that so many sufferers are also dealing with other issues as well. PTSD rehab always begins with a medical and psychological assessment designed to identify any other mental disorder or addiction that may be present.
There are two types of treatments normally used with PTSD patients:
- Medication – When medication is prescribed it will generally be an antidepressant. These types of drugs are used to help control the balance of brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters. These chemicals are vital to the transmission of information between brain cells. When neurotransmitters are not properly balanced, it can lead to all sorts of anxiety disorders.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – CBT is a psychotherapy based on the idea of redirecting negative thought patterns and emotions in a positive direction. It is a goal-oriented therapy with a very definite conclusion; it is not open-ended. CBT is very helpful in teaching PTSD patients how to retrain their thought processes.
The most difficult part of PTSD rehab is to treat the disorder without interfering with treatments for concurrent disorders. Medications and CBT must be properly balanced so that everything works together.
How We Can Help
As a confidential referral and consulting organisation, our role is to help you assess your current circumstances in order to find treatment options that are right for you. We work with individuals suffering from PTSD as well as other anxiety disorders and drug and alcohol addiction. We make it our mission to help our clients by always knowing what treatment options are available at any given time.
We work with high quality and fully certified clinics located across the UK and beyond. There is no need for you to spend weeks or months researching treatment options on your own, because we have done the research for you. All you need to do to get help for PTSD is pick up the phone and call us. Our compassionate and fully trained staff are ready to assist you 24 hours a day, every day.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a very real and debilitating condition, affecting patients from all walks of life. Nevertheless, the disorder can be successfully treated if you are willing to seek help. We urge you to make the decision to do so today. The sooner treatment begins, the sooner you can get back to that life you used to have; the sooner you can begin to once again enjoy all that life has to