Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that develops after an individual experiences or witnesses a traumatic life-threatening event or serious injury.

Well-known examples of traumatic events are accidents, assaults and abuses. However, any event that causes intense fear, helplessness or horror, resulting in feelings of an unpredictable or out of control life can be consider traumatic. This includes more common events such as traumatic childbirth, pregnancy loss or life-threatening illnesses.

Symptoms of PTSD can typically be classified into four different groups:

1. Reliving / re-experiencing – The individual experiences flashbacks, nightmares or distressing intrusive thoughts.

2. Avoidance – The individual tries to avoid places or situations that reminds them of the traumatic event.

3. Hypervigilant – Being jittery or constantly on guard and on the lookout for danger.

4. Negative thoughts and mood – This includes negative thoughts relating to blame or guilt, as well as overwhelming negative emotions.

The goal of PTSD treatment is to empower the individual with skillsets to manage the symptoms and walk through the fear. Common psychotherapy treatments of PTSD include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).