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An Exploration of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that develops in response to a frightening or dangerous event. This may be a natural occurrence such as an earthquake or hurricane or a situation experienced during a war or the commission of a crime. It may even be caused by receiving unexpected and catastrophic news such as the death of a loved one.

During a frightening experience most people undergo a series of involuntary changes to the body, often referred to as a “fight or flight” response. Reacting to the fear, the brain triggers these split-second changes in the body to help defend it against a menace or to avoid the source of danger altogether.

This “fight or fear” response was first described by physiologist Walter Cannon as the body’s way to ward off or avoid harm from a serious threat. These changes include a release of hormones that in turn release adrenaline and noradrenaline to increase the heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. In most cases, once the threat is gone, the body returns to normal within 20 to 60 minutes. However, if a person continues to experience the fight or flight response long after the initial event and danger are over, they are probably suffering from PTSD.

Symptoms

Signs of PSTD may start almost immediately after the event or take years to appear. They may manifest themselves in several difference ways that cause difficulties in social and work situations as well as in relationships. Generally, these symptoms are experienced as one or more of four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood and changes physical and emotional reactions to stress. Symptoms may not only differ from person to person, but from time to time in individual sufferers.

Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:

  • Frequent memories of the trauma
  • A sense of actually reliving the event (flashbacks)
  • Dreams or nightmares about the event
  • Emotional or physical distress to something that brings back memories of the event

PTSD is diagnosed if these symptoms last longer than a month and are severe enough to interfere with normal life. In some patients, symptoms disappear within a short time but others may experience them for years or even as a chronic condition.

Causes

Although doctors aren’t sure exactly what causes an onset of PSTD, the following situations seem to be the most common immediate triggers:

  • Being directly involved with a traumatic event such as a fire, hurricane, battle, crime or illness.
  • Witnessing a traumatic event that occurs to others
  • Learning someone you love has been involved in such a trauma
  • Being exposed to traumatic events on a continual basis as a first responder, healthcare worker or soldier. 

People reacting to these triggers are particularly vulnerable if they’ve experienced one or more of the following:

  • A previous stressful experience such as child abuse, a serious illness, etc.
  • A high genetic risk of mental illness
  • Have a pre-disposition to anxiety and depression
  • Engage in work with a high element of danger like the the military or law enforcement
  • Problems with substance misuse, such as excess drinking or drug use
  • The lack of a good support system of family and friends

Treatment

Generally, treatment for PSTD involves different forms of talk therapy. This is often combined with anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication to help relieve stressful symptoms until the benefits of psychotherapy can take hold.The two main types of psychotherapy used to treat PTSD are:

  • Cognitive therapy – helps the patient recognize thought patterns that lead to feelings of anxiety and stress. Once the patient is made aware of these patterns, such as negative beliefs about themselves and/or the PSTD provoking incident, they can work on changing these beliefs to eliminate the stress they cause. Cognitive therapists also work with patients to develop various stress management techniques to provide a sense of confidence in their ability to handle similar traumatic situations in the future.

Neurofeedback is an excellent option for treating PTSD for several reasons.

Some patients find that talk therapy for PTSD can be too difficult to undertake. They may be people who have trouble expressing themselves verbally or feel that talking about the event is too close to reliving it. Talk therapy can also take a considerable amount of time and may not provide relief for weeks or even months. Medication, on the other hand, can have unpleasant side effects including potential addiction. But neurofeedback can provide relief in a relatively short timeframe, has no side effects and once completed, offers lifelong benefits.

How it Works

Neurofeedback enables patients to see and control their own brain waves. The feelings of anxiety associated with PTSD are primarily caused by beta waves. Using neurofeedback, patients learn how to control and change the production of these waves to reduce their symptoms and shift negative thoughts to a more positive direction. This in turn, makes it easier for patients to assimilate their traumatic memories in a more productive way. The memories are still there, but their reaction to them no longer has to disrupt their lives and sense of well-being.