Posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD)

It is a chronic condition. The stressors of this disorder are death of loved ones, threat to someone else’s life, serious physical injury, unwanted sexual act.

Events which causes PTSD

• War
• Rape
• Kidnapping
• Natural disasters
• Car or plane crash
• Violent assault
• Sexual or physical abuse
• Medical procedures or surgeries.

 Signs and symptoms           

• Experiencing the original trauma through flashbacks or night mares
• Avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma like staying away from places and things that remind of the trauma.
• Difficulty in falling asleep
• Feeling alone
• Feeling of intense stress
• Feeling guilty, sadness and worrying
• Anger
• Mistrust
• Headaches
• Chest pain
• Difficulty in concentration
• Depression
• Hopelessness
• Increased physical reactions like pounding heart, rapid breathing, nausea, muscle tension, sweating
• Hypervigilance
• Impairment in social, occupational and other areas of functioning like problems with work and relationship.

 Treatment:

• Psychotherapy
• Cognitive therapy
• Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
• Family therapy
• Medications like antidepressants like fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, clonidine, propranalol.
• Mood stabilizers like lamotogrine, tiagabine, divalproex sodium.
• Antipsychotics like risperidone, olanzapine, quatiapine
• Benzodiazepines can be given.
• Reduction of stress by relaxation techniques like breathing exercises, positive imaginations.
• Exercises

• Minimizing negative lifestyle practices like substance abuse, suicidal behaviors