Understanding and Treating Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Emergency wards in hospitals at times are occupied by those who think they are having a heart attack, intestinal issues, severe abdominal pains, or even a stroke when in actuality they are having a panic attack. PTSD can be debilitating if not treated immediately. Curing PTSD is more important than masking it. Yes, curing Post-traumatic stress can be a reality for you!

How does Post-traumatic Stress Disorder develop?

Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD develops when a shocking, upsetting, or terrifying event occurs that you have witnessed, personally experienced, or indirectly experienced by learning about about a close friend or family member that experienced trauma. Any of these experiences that alters the way you feel and look at life can be understood as an individual that has developed PTSD. After the disturbing or terrifying event has occurred there is an onset of a number of symptoms that begin to occur some of which were listed previously.

What can cause post traumatic stress disorder?

Anyone at any age can get PTSD. This can include a child crying in a crib for longer than 15 minutes left unattended, childhood physical and emotional neglect, children witnessing parents arguing or physical abuse, witnessing frightening scenes even on television, repetitive startling sounds like someone bursting out in rage, bullying, physical fights, war combat, physical assault such as muggings, partner brutality, parental brutality, sexual abuse or assault, unexpected death of a loved one, vehicle accidents, natural disasters, dental or medical trauma such as procedures gone wrong or waking up in the middle of a procedure, or a degenerative illness. The list can be long but to understand what can cause PTSD is individual specific. If the incident witnessed or experienced is shocking, terrifying, upsetting or surreal then it is quite probable that it will cause PTSD.

Who can get PTSD?

Anyone can get Post-traumatic Stress Disorder of any age, any gender, any walk of life. PTSD is not like a transmittable disease through organisms like a virus or bacterial infection rather it develops in the brain when upsetting events occur. PTSD occurs when the brain does not know how to handle the shock of the trauma therefore it stores it in a dysfunctional way which then causes regular disruptions in our daily living even when there is no threat of danger present.

How long does post traumatic stress disorder last for?

Post-traumatic stress disorder can last for the entirety of a person’s life unless otherwise treated. There are some instances that people have been successful to find the support they need to be able to begin to heal where most others dissociate. To dissociate can be better understood as a disconnect from the upsetting event, possibly to the point where they can develop an amnesia. Disconnection is not to be considered a resolution rather the traumatic incident is avoided by the conscious mind so as not to re-experience the disturbing feelings that accompany the memory(s). When a person develops PTSD a form of dissociation also forms within. This however may not mean that it becomes a diagnosable disorder. Our unconscious mind forms a dissociation in order to “protect” us from feeling disturbing emotions, avoiding the emotions that are most upsetting to us.

PTSD can be short lived if addressed sooner rather than later. After 6 months of the incident occurring the brain then stores the information into another part where long term memory is kept as Episodic Memory, but where there is PTSD it can be stored as Implicit memory which can be problematic to the individual. It is generally easier to have the brain process the disturbing event prior to the end of the 6 month anniversary.

How does post traumatic stress disorder effect your everyday life?

PTSD effects peoples everyday lives by altering their mood, their emotional reactions, the choices that they now make. Post-traumatic stress effects your mental health, physical health, your work, and your relationships.

What is complex PTSD?

Simple PTSD can be defined as a single traumatic incident. Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or C-PTSD is a result of prolonged trauma that is continuous in nature and repetitive that involves the individual’s constant exposure to harm, childhood caregiver abandonment, where there is an uneven dynamic of power.

Complex PTSD can occur because of any of the following criteria that has occurred in your life repeatedly:

• When there has been more than one traumatic event that you have witnessed and/or experienced

• When there is a history of poor attachment in childhood with the parents

• Where threat happens repeatedly.

When there has been developmental issues that have occurred in the family of origin that destabilizes a child and causes the child to be less resilient to disturbing events in life so that when traumatic events occur it complicates the PTSD.

Is post-traumatic stress curable?

Yes, absolutely yes! PTSD is totally curable even in its complex forms. For the cure to take place there needs to be continuous therapy with a therapist that knows and understands PTSD. They need to be a trauma specialist to help you resolve these issues. It takes work, dedication, diligence, and honesty to resolve PTSD.

What is the best way to treat PTSD?

It is more about understanding the nature of PTSD, how to approach it and how to position a person’s brain to reprocess this “stuck” material. At New Hope Counselling Centre we have therapists, counsellors and psychotherapists that know how to help you.  James Miklos, MCC, R.P. director and therapist is a trauma specialist who has helped numerous people heal from PTSD even in its most complex of forms.

 

Serving Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville, Milton, Mississauga, St. Catharines and surrounding areas.