This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

PTSD- How You Get It and How Doctors Treat It

Over a century ago researchers and mental health practitioners created a diagnostically descriptive term to describe combat-related residuum. More recently, the diagnostic label PTSD was coined and the diagnostic criteria have been augmented to include the impact of every day trauma. There are four major symptom clusters in the DSM-5 that focus on the accompanying behavioral symptoms. Diagnostic thresholds have been lowered to include the following: re-experiencing, arousal, avoidance and persistent negative alterations in cognition and mood. So as to include children who are aged 6 and younger diagnostic thresholds are lowered further. How does this book, the DSM-5, used by psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health care practitioners affect the treatment seeking public? Wanting a more efficacious treatment for a widening demographic of PTSD sufferers, theorists and researchers have spent ample time considering the component parts of dissociation as well as primary attachment to tease out the roles nurture and nature influence etiology. Research indicates that suboptimal attachment experiences predispose children to developing PTSD—either in combat or along the lifespan continuum as a civilian in everyday life. In children who are psychologically vulnerable the brain may have an inadequate neuroendocrine response to stress. According to field expert Schore, impaired neural integration and impaired interpersonal integration may be resultant to a disorganized attachment style. Traumatic attachment can result in the dysregulation of the brain’s right hemisphere. Further, Schore posits that dissociation is a protective function of a brain that is unable to resolve irreconcilable conflicts—such as war and abuse. When victims are unable to physically take action in the instances of uncontrollable trauma—such as inability to escape from war or abuse—dissociation allows the sufferer to escape reality, numb emotions and disown the gravity of the situation in the moment. However, PTSD becomes problematic because sufferers are not able to effectively integrate the trauma which leads to deficits in regulating relational stress. The brain cannot decipher when a situation is calm or when the threat persists and this spans a multitude of situations and incoming stimuli. For example, a returning veteran who is safe in his house in the United States may hear a loud noise which brings him or her mentally back to the life and death immediacy of combat. Similarly, an adult woman who was sexually abused as a child may become panicked when she sees a particular type of person who reminds her of her abuser. The consequences of PTSD endure for those with the diagnosis. Here is what we know works: Following traumatic exposure victims need to regain a sense of control by handling concrete and solvable problems. Feeling out of control and helpless perpetuates the painful symptoms of the disorder. According to the World Health Organization (2013), trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are the only psychotherapies recommended for all PTSD sufferers no matter their age. A physician can assess the person who needs a pharmaceutical intervention. Some medicines used successfully include antidepressants, anti-psychotics and Prazosin. These medications all require a doctor’s prescription and monitoring.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?