Post-traumatic stress disorder: causes, symptoms, and effects

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder refers to a situation where an individual finds difficulty move on upon experiencing a harmful or terrifying situation Brewin, Andrews and Valentine 748.

The experiences introduce to an individual a sense of danger, disconnectedness, anxiety or painful memories. An individual experiencing post Traumatic stress feels helpless because their safety is threatened Brewin, Andrews and Valentine 749()

In reality, post traumatic disorder does not only occur as the result of physical threat. It is also associated to mental cognition that, may contribute to the feeling of helplessness and danger. In the case of danger directly affecting a close friend or family member, an individual may feel terrified and find it difficult to get over the situation. Prolonged feeling of the threat results to post traumatic stress disorder Brewin, Andrews and Valentine 750()

Effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Following the events that cause trauma to an individual there are sever biochemical changes in the brain that are inevitable to the victim. These changes include: reoccurrence of thought, Arousal (lack of sleep) and avoidance Silver et al. 1238()

These are recollections and flash back to the event that was traumatic. The recollections come about as nightmare or hallucinations with the individual having a difficulty to control their occurrence. Essentially the flash backs or recollections are triggered by the association which happens unconsciously. The reoccurrence of thought makes an individual experience mentally the traumatic event.

Trauma victims suffer from lack of sleep and failure to concentrate. They find difficulties with falling to sleep owing to the fear of nightmares or even because of mental disturbances that keep them hyper vigilant. The individual is also considered to be highly irritable and exhibits an exaggerated response to situations that are startling.

When one goes through a traumatic experience, they tend to want to dissociate with events, places and persons that call to mind the occurrence. Because they are already in the traumatic disorder stage, they will seek avoid reoccurrence of the though and disturbing image in their brains. They will hold in them a conviction that they will not suffer the pain of memory unless their brain associates with the traumatic experience.

Works sited

Brewin, C.R., B. Andrews, and J.D. Valentine. "Meta-Analysis of Risk Factors for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Trauma-Exposed Adults." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 68 (2000): 748-66. Print.

Silver, R.C, et al. "National Longitudinal Study of Psychological Responses to September 11. ." Journal of the American Medical Association, 288 (2002): 1235-44. Print.