Who are affected by ptsd?
As mentioned earlier, most people who experience PTSD are soldiers who had combat exposure. These people are likely to acquire PTSD and In the United States, 60% of men and 50% of women experience a traumatic event during their lifetimes. The rate is highest for soldiers. The
United States Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 830,000 Vietnam War veterans
suffered symptoms of PTSD. The National Vietnam Veterans' Readjustment Study (NVVRS)
found 15.2% of male and 8.5% of female Vietnam Vets to suffer from PTSD. Life-Time
prevalence of PTSD was 30.9% for males and 26.9% for females. However, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the US is twice as much in women (7.8%-10.4%) than in men (5%). In the Philippines, the DALY overall rate of PTSD is 58; 86 for women and 30 for men.
United States Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 830,000 Vietnam War veterans
suffered symptoms of PTSD. The National Vietnam Veterans' Readjustment Study (NVVRS)
found 15.2% of male and 8.5% of female Vietnam Vets to suffer from PTSD. Life-Time
prevalence of PTSD was 30.9% for males and 26.9% for females. However, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the US is twice as much in women (7.8%-10.4%) than in men (5%). In the Philippines, the DALY overall rate of PTSD is 58; 86 for women and 30 for men.
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Generally, the people that are most affected by PTSD are the people who experienced great trauma in their life such as:
- Childhood neglect and physical abuse
- Sexual assault
- Physical attack
- Being threatened with a weapon
Many other traumatic events also can lead to PTSD, such as fire, natural disaster, mugging, robbery, car accident, plane crash, torture, kidnapping, life-threatening medical diagnosis, terrorist attack, and other extreme or life-threatening events.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can disrupt your whole life: your job, your relationships, your health and your enjoyment of everyday activities.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can disrupt your whole life: your job, your relationships, your health and your enjoyment of everyday activities.
Approaches in treatment
There are a lot of different methods in treating PTSD. Biological and psychosocial treatments are used to minimize and eradicate the disorder. Here are the treatments for PTSD:
Biological
Biological
- Medication is sometimes prescribed to people with PTSD to relieve secondary symptoms of depression or anxiety. Antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft are the medications most commonly used for PTSD. While antidepressants may help you feel less sad, worried, or on edge, they do not treat the causes of PTSD.
- Propranolol (Inderal), a type of medicine called a beta-blocker, is also being studied to see if it may help reduce stress following a traumatic event and interrupt the creation of fearful memories. Early studies have successfully reduced or seemingly prevented PTSD in small numbers of trauma victims.
Psychological
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic, left-right stimulation, such as hand taps or sounds. Eye movements and other bilateral forms of stimulation are thought to work by “unfreezing” the brain’s information processing system, which is interrupted in times of extreme stress.
- Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD and trauma involves carefully and gradually “exposing” yourself to thoughts, feelings, and situations that remind you of the trauma. Therapy also involves identifying upsetting thoughts about the traumatic event–particularly thoughts that are distorted and irrational—and replacing them with more balanced picture.
- Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy. In this type of therapy, you learn ways of dealing with emotional conflicts caused by your trauma. This therapy helps you understand how your past affects the way you feel now.Your therapist can help you:
- Identify what triggers your stressful memories and other symptoms
- Find ways to cope with intense feelings about the past
- Become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, so you can change your reactions to them
- Raise your self-esteem
- Prolonged Exposure (PE). Prolonged Exposure is a standard technique that has been used with various anxiety disorders and has now been adapted for PTSD in rape victims. PE involves repeated imaginal re-living of the traumatic experience. Then it is followed up with subsequent real life exposure to situations that are unpleasant reminders of the cause of the fear.
- Stress Inoculation Training. SIT is a CBT approach that has a primary focus on teaching the identification and management of anxiety reactions to stressful situations. Michenbaum (1985) first developed this intervention for use with a wide variety of populations suffering from anxious response including trauma. SIT involved explaining the physical, cognitive and behavioral components of fear and anxiety reactions. Then victims are taught various coping strategies to address dysfunctional thoughts and unpleasant feelings that come up with exposure to certain trauma reminders. These include relaxation, shifting attention and self-coaching dialogues. The goal is that victims learn to manage trauma related anxiety with confidence and efficacy.
Social
- Family therapy. Since PTSD affects both you and those close to you, family therapy can be especially productive. Family therapy can help your loved ones understand what you’re going through. It can also help everyone in the family communicate better and work through relationship problems caused by PTSD symptoms.
- Group therapy. Many people want to talk about their trauma with others who have had similar experiences. In group therapy, you talk with a group of people who also have been through a trauma and who have PTSD. Sharing your story with others may help you feel more comfortable talking about your trauma. This can help you cope with your symptoms, memories, and other parts of your life. Group therapy helps you build relationships with others who understand what you've been through. You learn to deal with emotions such as shame, guilt, anger, rage, and fear. Sharing with the group also can help you build self-confidence and trust. You'll learn to focus on your present life, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the past.
References
Amarendra Narayan Prasad (2012). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – An Overview, Post
Traumatic Stress Disorders in a Global Context, Prof. Emilio Ovuga, Md, PhD (Ed.)
Pitman RK, Sanders KM, Zusman RM, et al. Pilot study of secondary prevention of posttraumatic
stress disorder with propranolol. Biol Psychiatry. Jan 15 2002;51(2):189-192.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Treatment in Temecula, CA. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17,
2015, from http://aspirewellnessclinic.com/service/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/post-traumatic-stress-disorder.htm
PTSD: National Center for PTSD. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/PTSD/public/treatment/therapy-med/treatment-ptsd.asp
Traumatic Stress Disorders in a Global Context, Prof. Emilio Ovuga, Md, PhD (Ed.)
Pitman RK, Sanders KM, Zusman RM, et al. Pilot study of secondary prevention of posttraumatic
stress disorder with propranolol. Biol Psychiatry. Jan 15 2002;51(2):189-192.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Treatment in Temecula, CA. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17,
2015, from http://aspirewellnessclinic.com/service/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/post-traumatic-stress-disorder.htm
PTSD: National Center for PTSD. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/PTSD/public/treatment/therapy-med/treatment-ptsd.asp