How to Overcome Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a term that is becoming more and more recognizable in our society today. This is due to the fact that thousands of army veterans and soldiers are being diagnosed with the mental health condition. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder presents with numerous symptoms, and it can appear within months after witnessing a traumatic event. Although individuals and army veterans who are diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can suffer from debilitating symptoms, medication and therapy can help a person overcome and cope with the disorder.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, otherwise known as PTSD, is a psychiatric disorder that affects millions of men and women throughout the world. According to Mark Hamner and Sophie Robert, the disorder is classified as an anxiety disorder, and it debuted in psychiatric diagnostic books in 1980. PTSD surfaces in individuals who have experienced a traumatic event in their life. This trauma can include watching a loved one suddenly die, involvement in a horrible car accident, being the victim of abuse, or participating in military combat. Within six months of the traumatic event, symptoms of PTSD can appear, and they present in three clusters.

Diagnostic manuals for psychiatric illnesses explain that symptoms of PTSD can fall under three categories. Symptoms in Cluster B include dreams and flashbacks of the event, while symptoms in Cluster C include avoiding people and places that remind the individual of the traumatic event, amnesia of the event, and numbness (Kastelan et al. 273). If an individual does not present with these symptoms, they may still have PTSD if what they are feeling resembles Cluster D. In Cluster D, symptoms of hyperarousal are present, “including insomnia, irritability, loss of concentration, excessive caution, and exaggerated startle response” (Kastelan et al. 273). Unfortunately, psychotic symptoms are now presenting under this diagnosis as well, and these symptoms include having hallucinations and delusions.

When a person presents with symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, they may be diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, such as Schizophrenia. Research has confirmed that people who are already seeking treatment for mental health conditions are commonly misdiagnosed due to the fact that symptoms of PTSD can fall under several other disorders, including depression (Meltzer et al. 191). To complicate things further, research has also found that symptoms of PTSD may present six months after experiencing the traumatic event. When symptoms of PTSD present later than six months, the condition is called Late Onset Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, Christopher Brewin and Jennie Hejdenberg found that behavioral problems usually appear within those six months, including aggression and substance abuse disorders. Sadly, these days, many war veterans are being diagnosed with PTSD and Late Onset PTSD, as years of witnessing traumatic events while at war is taking a toll on the mental health of soldiers throughout the world.

Thirty years ago, many Americans were not familiar with the term PTSD, as the disorder was not widely diagnosed and discussed in our society. Conversely, today, many Americans can easily recognize the diagnosis when they hear it since so many American soldiers who served in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are being diagnosed with the mental health condition at an alarming rate. Carmen McLean and Edna Foa explained that service men exposed to a war zone have the greatest risk for being diagnosed with PTSD, and 16.6% of military personnel who served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan can be classified as having PTSD. These elevated numbers are a result of members of our military being exposed to a high number of traumatic events when involved in combat, including watching an enemy die, witnessing a fellow soldier shot to death, or being placed in situations where the personnel’s life is constantly at risk.

When a member of the military is continuously exposed to traumatic events, the individual may begin to experience symptoms of PTSD while still in service. The person may begin feeling symptoms of anxiety and depression, and they may start to fear certain places or people. Further, the service man or woman may have heightened senses, which keep them on guard at all times. However, these symptoms may be overlooked as PTSD by professionals since most military personnel learn in basic training to always be aware of their surroundings. Unfortunately, when these heightened senses continue after the individual returns home from service, PTSD may be warranted as a diagnosis. The individual will display high levels of anxiety, aggression, and arousal when they hear or witness things that correlate to the traumatic events during their military service. Further, the person may seclude themselves and avoid the public in fear of what may happen if they leave their home. However, these symptoms may not be chronic if the individual does not present with certain risk factors for chronic PTSD. Hamner and Robert determined that “a number of other risk factors are likely to be relevant in diagnosing chronic PTSD, including past history of trauma, family history of PTSD, anxiety, mood, or substance use disorders, panic attack at the time of the trauma, lower socioeconomic status, childhood abuse or neglect as well as others” (277). Nonetheless, if a service man or woman presents with symptoms of PTSD and they become chronic and debilitating, strategies can be implemented to help the person cope with the disorder.

When a person is experiencing symptoms of PTSD after a traumatic event, they should first see a doctor. The doctor can be a primary care physician or a doctor at a military or veteran’s hospital. A doctor can rule out any medical illnesses that may be causing symptoms that mimic those of PTSD. For instance, if a person is experiencing high levels of anxiety, the doctor can check the patient to rule out hyperthyroidism. After, if a doctor cannot find a medical cause for the patient’s symptoms, the patient could be referred to a mental health practitioner, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. The psychologist or psychiatrist will assess the client’s symptoms to determine if they fit the criteria of a psychiatric disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

To diagnose a mental illness, such as PTSD, a mental health professional will ask the patient a series of questions concerning their symptoms. In addition, the practitioner may ask the patient to fill out a questionnaire, such as the PTSD Inventory. The PTSD Inventory is a “self-report scale that consists of items corresponding to symptoms in the DSM” (Solomon et al. 1429). The results from this questionnaire can enable a mental health professional to accurately diagnose the condition and to formulate a treatment plan for the client.

When a client receives a diagnosis of PTSD, the individual may be relieved to know that an actual disorder is causing their symptoms. However, they may be unsure what to expect from the mental illness in the present and future. Therefore, the mental health professional will provide the client with educational resources to make the client knowledgeable about their condition. These resources can include pamphlets that include literature on the disorder, websites to go on to look up information about the condition, and the number for local support groups in the patient’s area.

Once an individual is diagnosed with PTSD and given educational resources and literature to make them knowledgeable about the illness, the client will then be offered medication to control their symptoms. Currently, there are three types of medications that are utilized to treat the symptoms of PTSD. First, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), also known as antidepressants, are considered the “first-line agents for the treatment of PTSD” (Dieperink et al. 306). SSRIs include the drugs named Zoloft, Sertraline, and Paxil. These drugs work for treating PTSD because they increase the levels of serotonin in the brain. When levels of serotonin increase in the brain, a patient will feel begin to feel less anxious and depressed.

Additionally, when a person is diagnosed with PTSD, they may be offered antipsychotic medication. According to Hamner and Robert, antipsychotic medications can be prescribed for the treatment of PTSD to control audio and visual hallucinations that may accompany flashbacks in military veterans, and the drug is also effective for reducing nightmares. Antipsychotic medications include drugs named Risperdal and Thioridazine. These drugs work by increasing levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. When levels of serotonin and dopamine increase in the brain, a person’s hallucinations and depression will begin to diminish.

Finally, most clients who are diagnosed with PTSD will be given a benzodiazepine to take along with the antidepressant or antipsychotic medication. Research has found that more than 30% of patients that are diagnosed with PTSD take a benzodiazepine to control their symptoms (Dieperink et al. 306). Drugs, such as Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin, are common benzodiazepines that are given to clients who suffer from PTSD. Benzodiazepine’s work by increasing levels of GABA in the brain. When levels of GABA increase in the brain, a person will feel less anxious, less nervous, and less aggressive. Furthermore, benzodiazepines can help an individual with sleep complications, which is beneficial to those PTSD clients who suffer from insomnia.

While taking medication can help an individual suffering with PTSD to control the symptoms that they are experiencing, medications will not make the disorder magically disappear. There is no cure for PTSD, so treatment must also involve therapy to enable the therapist and client to explore why the person is experiencing the symptoms and to strategize on how to cope with symptoms. Hamner and Robert explained that “medication and psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy, are the mainstream treatments for PTSD” (267). Although many people may not think that they need therapy, there are several therapeutic techniques that can be utilized with patients who suffer from PTSD to help them learn how to cope with PTSD and to control the feelings that they are experiencing.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the first therapeutic technique that clinicians utilize when a patient presents with symptoms of PTSD. Hamner and Robert found that cognitive behavioral therapy allows people to explore how their thoughts influence their actions. For instance, if a person with PTSD sees stimuli in the environment that reminds them of a traumatic event that may have sparked the onset of PTSD symptoms, the person may get angry and react by breaking things in his or her home. Therefore, cognitive behavioral therapy will first explore thoughts that are associated with PTSD, and then the therapist will teach the client how to control their actions when these thoughts surface.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is essential for treating PTSD in combat veterans for two reasons. First, when a veteran experiences a high level of trauma during combat, the veteran may constantly be thinking about the events. Therefore, cognitive behavioral therapy will help the veteran to understand the events and to explore the reasons as to why the veteran keeps thinking about the events and reliving them in their mind. Also, cognitive behavioral therapy is an essential treatment strategy for military personnel since they are quick to react to stimuli in the environment due to their training in the military. For example, a war veteran may hear fireworks and immediately run for cover since it reminds them of gunshots that were fired during combat.

Therefore, a therapist will teach the client to first think about the stimuli that they are seeing before they immediately react to it.While cognitive behavioral therapy is the psychotherapy technique that is commonly used to help clients cope with PTSD symptoms, traditional techniques of this therapy may not always work on some clients. As a result, exposure therapy, which is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy, may also be recommended when a client is suffering with chronic PTSD. According to McLean and Foa, “exposure therapy refers to a general strategy for reducing excessive or unrealistic anxiety through confronting anxiety-provoking or avoided thoughts, situations, activities, and people that are not realistically threatening” (1153). Like standard cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy explores a person’s thoughts and reactions to stimulus in our environment. However, exposure therapy differs since it focuses on discovering those thoughts related to the trauma that have been avoided. For instance, a war veteran may avoid thinking about how his best friend was gunned down right in front of him in combat. Therefore, in exposure therapy, the therapist will encourage the client to confront these avoided thoughts and then assess the client’s reaction to them.

When a person is suffering from severe PTSD symptoms, the trauma may lead to the person avoiding all places and things that are associated with the event due to fear of reliving the trauma. For instance, if a client witnesses a friend being murdered in combat, the client may all places and events that involve loud noises, guns, or gatherings of close friends. Therefore, McLean and Foa explained that exposure therapy will then take the treatment one step further and slowly expose the client to the stimuli and stimulus that is provoking the fear and avoidant behavior. For example, if a person is avoiding places with loud noises, the therapist may start exposing the client to loud noises by showing the client segments of movies that have loud audio and noises. The goal of doing this is to get the client use to the stimuli and to reduce the level of fear that is associated with it. Then, the client will teach the client how to properly react to the stressors. After repeated exposure to the stimuli, the client should begin to not fear it when it is encountered it in the outside world since they will now have the tools that they need to properly react to it.

Although cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy are the most popular treatment strategies for the treatment of PTSD, research is now proving the client-centered therapy may be effective at helping clients to overcome the symptoms of PTSD. According to Stephen Joseph, client-centered therapy involves “working in such a way as to facilitate the client to find his or her own solutions to problems, to seek his or her own meaning, in the understanding that fuelled by an actualizing tendency each person can find his or her own directions in life” (103). When a client presents with PTSD symptoms, the therapist will use positive regard and unconditional support to help the client explore the traumatic events that triggered the PTSD symptoms. Then, the therapist will help the client process the trauma, and solutions for coping with the trauma will be formulated by both the client and the therapist.

While cognitive behavioral therapy has goals that are set by the therapist, in client-centered therapy, the client’s main goal is to overcome the fear and trauma associated with PTSD while improving self worth and striving for a degree of happiness. Joseph explained that “it has been suggested that client-centered therapy might sometimes offer a useful way of working with clients who have experienced trauma and who are actively engaged in struggles to find new meaning in their lives, and who feel that they have learnt important lessons from their experiences” (101). Unfortunately, many clients who suffer from chronic PTSD may feel like their life is now meaningless, and they may not think that they can ever function normally in society again. Therefore, client-centered therapy can help clients to reevaluate their lives and to begin a new journey that involves living a healthy and happy life without fear.

Many people suffering with PTSD may be hesitant to speak to a therapist due to the fact that speaking one on one with a professional may provoke high levels of anxiety. Fortunately, group therapy can help individuals that suffer with PTSD to explore and express the feelings that they are dealing with. Group therapy sessions can be lead by both trained professionals or by people who also have experienced a degree of PTSD in their lives. These types of groups are called support groups. They can be face-to-face or held through online platforms, and each session usually focuses on one topic. For example, if a therapy group is composed of military veterans, then the topic of the therapy session may be overcoming combat guilt. Nevertheless, not only do group sessions help participants learn techniques to cope with the symptoms of PTSD, but they can also help those living with the disorder to connect with others who are living with PTSD symptoms.

Additionally, participation in group therapy or support groups is encouraged for those PTSD patients who have co-occurring disorders. Hamner and Robert explained that co-occurring disorders is a term used when a client is diagnosed with two disorders in the DSM. Unfortunately, many individuals with PTSD may self medicate with alcohol or drugs to relieve the symptoms that they are experiencing. Further, substances may help an individual go out in public and face stimulus that could trigger a flashback of a traumatic event. Therefore, in order to cope with and overcome symptoms of PTSD, treatment should be sought for both disorders at the same time.

Finally, support groups may be helpful for people who are diagnosed with PTSD to help them manage the stress that they are feeling. Stress management classes can be highly beneficial for PTSD sufferers since PTSD creates high levels of tension, anxiety, and anger in people. Stress management classes will allow participants to learn how to control their feelings through breathing and calming techniques. Therefore, stress management classes are encouraged for the treatment of PTSD since they will teach clients tools that can be utilized when faced with stressors in the environment.

Interestingly, while most research on PTSD focuses on the person that is diagnosed with the disorder, little time has been taken to focus on helping the spouses and families who live with someone affected by PTSD. PTSD takes a severe toll on interpersonal relationships, and the entire family unit will be affected when a person receives a PTSD diagnosis. Spouses may not know how to deal with a partner who is suddenly withdrawn, depressed, and having nightmares and hallucinations. Further, children may become scared when a parent has outbursts of anger and rage over trivial things. Therefore, families, spouses, and children should also seek counseling and participate in support groups to learn how to cope with living with a person with PTSD. In all, the individual with PTSD will not be able to fully cope with the disorder and find happiness without the understanding and support from his/her family.

To conclude, although individuals and army veterans who are diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can suffer from debilitating symptoms, medication and therapy can help a person overcome and cope with the disorder. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines can help control PTSD symptoms, while cognitive behavioral therapy and client centered therapy will help a PTSD sufferer understand and process the trauma that they have experienced in their life. Overall, support from doctors, families, and friends can enable a person with PTSD to cope with the disorder and to live a healthy and happy life.

Works Cited

Brewin, Christopher, and Jennie Hejdenberg. “Objective Predictors of Delayed-Onset Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Occurring After Military Discharge.” Psychological Medicine 42.10 (2012): 2219-2226. Web.

Dieperink, Michael, Christopher Erbes, Jennie Leskela, Danny Kaloupek et al. “Comparison of Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Three Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.” Military Medicine 107.4 (2005): 305-308. Web.

Hamner, Mark B., and Sophie Robert. “Emerging Roles for Atypical Antipsychotics in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics 5.2 (2005): 267-275. Web.

Joseph, Stephen. “Client-Centered Therapy, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Growth: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Implications.” Psychology and Psychotherapy 77 (2004): 101-119. Web.

Kastelan, Ana, Tanja Fanciskovic, Ljiljana Moro, Ika Roncevic-Grzeta et al. “Psychotic Symptoms in Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Military Medicine 172.3 (2007): 273-277. Web.

McLean, Carmen, and Edna Foa. “Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Review of Evidence and Dissemination.” Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics 11.8 (2011): 1151-1163. Web.

Meltzer, Ellen, Tali Averbuch, Jeffrey Samet, Richard Saitz, Khelda Jabbar, Christine Lloyd-Travaglini, and Jane Liebschutz. “Discrepancy in Diagnosis and Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Treatment for the Wrong Reason.” Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 39.2 (2012): 190-201.

Solomon, Zungu, and Rachel Dekel. “Complex Trauma of War Captivity: A Prospective Study of Attachment and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Psychological Medicine 38.10 (2008): 1427-1434. Web.