A post-traumatic disorder is a mental condition that is caused by experiencing or seeing a terrifying event or occurrence. Most people who are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder have problems coping with what they have witnessed or gone through. In some cases, victims of post-traumatic disorder tend to adjust and get better, but in others, the situation gets worse. The main symptoms of post-traumatic disorder include regular flashbacks, anxiety, nightmares, and frequent thoughts about the event. If the necessary measures are not implemented urgently, the condition might get worse and permanently affect the victim ( Pittman et al., 2012) . This paper seeks to have an in-depth discussion of what post-traumatic stress disorder is and its effects.
Clinical Definition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
According to Pittman et al. (2012), clinically, post-traumatic stress disorder refers to a mental health condition that is caused when a victim witness or becomes part of a traumatizing event. The condition affects millions of people around the globe who have been through terrifying events, and it is a major concern to the medical field. Currently, professionals in the medical field and researchers are still struggling to find the most effective way of dealing with the mental condition.
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Five Levels of PTSD
An analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder reveals that the condition has five major levels which are the normal stress response, acute stress disorder, uncomplicated post-traumatic stress disorder, comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
Normal Stress Response
Normal stress response occurs in an event where healthy adults are exposed to one terrifying event that mentally affects them resulting to bad memories, distress, anxiety, isolation, and emotional numbing. In normal circumstances, such adults usually recover after a few weeks. To help the victims to overcome the condition, healthcare professionals typically use group debriefings where the participants or the victims start by describing the terrifying event and how it affected them. After the description of the event, the victims move to another stage where they explain how they emotionally responded to the event after which they hold an open discussion on the symptoms that have been caused by the event. After sharing their experiences, the victims are then educated on what their emotional responses mean and how to cope with the situation ( Tuepker et al ., 2016).
Acute Stress Disorder
Another level of PTSD is acute stress disorder which is characterized by more severe symptoms such as panic reactions, constant suspicion, insomnia, mental confusion, and isolation from friends and family ( Dekkers, Olff, & N äring, 2010 ). Acute stress disorder is caused when a victim is exposed to a single traumatic event for an extended period such natural catastrophes which result in death or destruction of property. A victim of acute stress disorder can be helped to overcome the condition through medication that can help cure insomnia and anxiety, group support, and the withdrawal from the scene of the traumatic event ( Dekkers, Olff, & N äring, 2010 ). Psychotherapy can also be used to help them overcome their condition.
Uncomplicated PTSD
This level of post-traumatic disorder is characterized by the constant experiencing the traumatic occurrence, emotional numbing, and avoiding the stimuli that are related to the trauma. The uncomplicated post-traumatic disorder can be treated by group intervention, pharmacological, and psychodynamic approaches. It is also essential that intervention procedures are carried out promptly to prevent the victim from being affected even more ( Dekkers, Olff, & N äring, 2010 ).
Comorbid PTSD
Comorbid PTSD is among the most common of all the five levels of PTSD because it is usually associated with major psychiatric disorders such as alcohol and substance abuse or depression. To effectively treat comorbid PTSD, it must be combined with other disorders and address them rather than dealing with them one disorder at a time. The treatment used for uncomplicated disorders are the same ones that can be used to treat comorbid PTSD. The treatment should also include those of other psychiatric problems such as alcohol and substance abuse. Comorbid PTSD has been useful in finding a new cure to many disorders like depression ( Dekkers et al., 2010 ).
Complex PTSD
Shrivastava et al. (2012) state that complex PTSD is more common in people who were victims of abuse while they were young. Examples of violations that can lead to complex PTSD include childhood sexual and physical abuse. The main symptoms portrayed by people with complex PTSD include antisocial personality disorder, aggression, alcohol and drug abuse, depression, panic, and impulsivity. The treatment of complex PTSD takes a long time to produce positive results. It also needs a well-structured and sensitive program to be able to treat the disorder effectively. One of the most effective treatments for complex PTSD is group therapy where victims are allowed to share their experiences and emotions with other victims after which they are advised adequately by qualified professionals concerning how to handle their feelings and responses to the traumatizing events that happened in their lives.
Cognitive Effects of PTSD
There are many effects caused by post-traumatic stress disorder. The effects can be categorized into two major areas which are psychological aggression and emotional responses. It is crucial to note that post-traumatic stress disorder mainly affects the mental state of a person. After a person has been involved or witnessed a traumatic event, their mental state automatically changes ( Tekeli-Yesil et al., 2018 ). Some of the mental effects caused by post-traumatic stress disorder are psychological aggression which has different emotional responses.
Mental Behavior
Psychological aggression refers to many mental behaviors or actions that can result in physical or psychological harm of an individual. Even though most people believe that physical aggression is the most destructive, researchers have established that psychological aggression has worse effects ( Tekeli-Yesil et al., 2018 ). Most victims of PTSD are psychologically aggressive due to various reasons such as their desire to express hostility to other people or anger, intimidation of other people, and an expression of fear. In most cases, aggression in PTSD indicates a reaction to pain, dominance, or the expression of possession. Psychological effects can be dangerous to the victims and also the people around the victim. One of the most common effects of psychological aggression is that it plays a significant role in the promotion of domestic violence. According to Tekeli-Yesil et al. (2018), the majority of the domestic violence cases that are reported as usually as a result of psychological aggression from the people with PTSD. It is well known that aggression leads to violence. The two basic types of aggression include emotional aggression and cognitive or impulsive aggression. Emotional aggression occurs without much planning, and spontaneous emotions determine it. The negative emotions cause emotional aggression that victims feel, and it is executed instantaneously, meaning that it is usually not planned.
A perfect example is when sports fans vandalize and destroy property when their team loses. Tekeli-Yesil et al. (2018) argue that cognitive aggression, on the other hand, is the type of psychological aggression that is usually planned. It is aimed at causing harm on other people to gain something in return such as attention or political mileage or power. An example of cognitive aggression is when a terrorist attacks and harms unarmed populations to make a political statement. Some of the emotional responses to psychological aggressiveness include anxiety, isolation, anger, depression, and panic.
Physical Behavior
Physical aggression is the type of aggression that involves physically causing harm to other people. Physical aggression is caused by psychological processes which act as an outlet of emotions and frustrations for people who are psychologically affected. Some of the most common forms of physical aggression include hitting, shooting, or kicking other people ( O'hare, & Sherrer, 2013 ). Urgent intervention measures must be undertaken to prevent physical aggression and protect other people from harm.
Isolation, on the other hand, involves the withdrawal of a person who has post-traumatic stress disorder from people. The victim might maintain solitude by avoiding other people or making conversations as brief as possible. It is also essential to identify people who isolate themselves from others to find out what might be the cause.
The Eating Habits and Pattern of People Suffering From PTSD
In most cases, people who have experienced traumatic events in their lives have concerns over their images, and they also suffer from low self-esteem. Tuepker et al . (2016) state that the prevalence of eating disorders among PTSD patients is about 24.3 percent, a testament to the correlation that exists between PTSD and eating disorders. As part of their coping mechanism, PTSD patients avoid eating enough food, purge, or adopt binge eating. However, adopting such eating behaviors only makes them feel worse about themselves. More efficient coping strategies should be used to help PTSD patients overcome their conditions without affecting their eating habits.
Sleep Patterns
Post-traumatic stress disorder affects the pattern of sleep of a victim due to the memories that a person keeps from the traumatic experience. According to O'hare, & Sherrer ( 2013 ), about 70 percent of the people who have PTSD complain of insomnia and nightmares. The sleep disorders are usually as a result of paranoia due to the traumatic events. Furthermore, PTSD causes nightmares and flashbacks as the victims regularly revisit the traumatic experiences in their mind. The most effective treatment for sleep disorders among PTSD patients includes medication and therapy.
Conclusion
In summation, it is evident that Post-traumatic sleep disorder is a severe mental condition with adverse effects on victims if not well treated. Post-traumatic stress disorder refers to a mental health condition that is caused by a victim witnessing or being part of a horrifying event. Post-traumatic stress disorder exists in five main levels which are the normal stress response, acute stress disorder, uncomplicated post-traumatic stress disorder, comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. The analysis of all the levels reveals the various effects that PTSD can cause to victims and also how the condition can be treated or controlled. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a significant health challenge among many people. Most people even suffer from the condition without knowledge of what they are suffering from. It is therefore crucial for the various health care systems and institutions around the world to raise awareness about the condition and also invest in research that can come up with more effective methods of dealing with the condition.
References
Dekkers, A. M., M., Olff, M., & N äring, G. W. (2010). Identifying Persons at Risk for PTSD after Trauma with TSQ in the Netherlands. Community Mental Health Journal, 46 (1), 20-25. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10597-009-9195-6
O'hare, T., & Sherrer, M. (2013). Lifetime Trauma, subjective Distress, Substance use, and PTSD symptoms in people with Severe Mental Illness: Comparisons among four Diagnostic Groups. Community Mental Health Journal, 49 (6), 728-32. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10597-013-9620-8
Pittman, J. O., E., Goldsmith, A. A., Lemmer, J. A., Kilmer, M. T., & Baker, D. G. (2012). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, and Health-related quality of Life in OEF/OIF veterans. Quality of Life Research, 21 (1), 99-103. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-9918-3
Shrivastava, A., Karia, S., Sonavane, S., & De Sousa, A. (2017). Child sexual abuse and the development of Psychiatric Disorders: A Neurobiological trajectory of Pathogenesis. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 26 (1) doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/ipj.ipj_38_15
Tekeli-Yesil, S., Isik, E., MsC., Unal, Y., MsC., Almossa, Fuad Aljomaa, M.D., MsC., Unlu, H. K., PhD., & Aker, A. T., M.D. (2018). Determinants of Mental Disorders in Syrian refugees in Turkey versus Internally Displaced Persons in Syria. American Journal of Public Health, 108 (7), 938-945. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304405
Tuepker, A., Zickmund, S. L., Nicolajski, C. E., Hahm, B., Butler, J., Weir, C, . . . Hickam, David H. (2016). Providers' note-writing practices for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder at five United States Veterans Affairs facilities. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 43 (3), 428-442. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11414-015-9472-9
