does science say?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental condition that develops in response to experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event involving a threat to life or safety.
Causes of PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop as a result of experiencing or witnessing traumatic events.
The main causes of PTSD include the following events:
Military actions: participation in combat operations as an active army or combatant. At the same time, the degree of PTSD can be completely different for everyone. The reason is simple, because everyone's war is different. It is different for even two people who are sitting together in the same trench. There are many reasons, one of which is that there are no people with the same moral and physical fitness, and some people still differ from each other, so they perceive what is happening differently. After such events, a person can experience PTSD for quite a long time, and at times it returns in the form of flashbacks to varying degrees, and more often it is impossible to completely part with this problem, you can smooth it out. But complex auto-training sessions, yoga and the presence of favorable people nearby will help to get rid of bad memories. This type of PTSD is different from other topics, because it is more prolonged than just being a victim of disasters, for example, which usually passes within a few hours, and rescuers save. Military men follow orders.
Sexual assault: This book won't cover this type of PTSD, but I think everyone understands.
Physical violence: a person always strives for parity of forces, but since it is different for everyone, conflicts are sometimes inevitable from time to time in the educational, work and even in the family environment. The victims of such violence can be absolutely anyone, including boxing champions, because a group attack in this case will not save a person much, or an attack by a person with a gun on a strong but unarmed person. All 1001+ techniques against weapons don't always work, especially if the attacker is far away from you, and physically he can shoot before you get close to him to show him one of the 1001+ techniques in combat sambo or Aikido.
Here you can either run away or calm down with words, because your opponent can be adequate at this time.
Accidents: this is a fairly large range of accidents, such as accidents, man-made and domestic fires, electric shocks, and so on. Usually, such events occur unexpectedly, and a person is simply not often ready for them. As they say in such cases – "I didn't have time to get scared", but everything is individual, and often this later leads to various phobias that need to be treated with the help of psychotherapists.
Natural disasters: hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters can not only damage a person's psyche, but also make them disabled, which can make the situation worse and lead to secondary PTSD. To avoid such problems, it is advisable to monitor the weather forecast, prepare in advance with food supplies and do not leave the shelter unless absolutely necessary. Food supplies should include medical supplies for all kinds of assistance, communication and evacuation equipment, such as boats, flashlights, helmets, boots, sleeping bags and matches.
Death or loss of a loved one: a person is mortal, and sometimes suddenly. Sometimes it is possible to save a person, sometimes it is impossible. This is always a great loss for your loved ones, and the book will describe how to deal with it and what to expect.
Illness or severe medical procedures: it is always unpleasant to get sick, and this can be a difficult test for both the patient and loved ones. A huge number of diseases that lead to temporary or permanent immobility, restricted movement, general disability, confusion of mind, as, for example, after a stroke, and many other things that can cause not only PTSD in the patient, but also in the family. I am preparing a separate book about this case of PTSD, which will be devoted to rehabilitation, and I will share my best practices after severe and complex disability by my own example, and how to live with chronic diseases and not get angry at the world around me. The book is still in development, follow the latest updates by subscribing to the author Yuri Belk in the description of the book, if, of course, you will be interested and need it
Evidence of violence: seeing violent actions, even if not against yourself, but towards your loved ones, can sometimes lead to even more PTSD, and then you need to work with this for a long time, but all individually.
Symptoms of PTSD can manifest themselves in the form of feelings and anxieties, when a person begins to scroll through the events that have happened or this period of life in his head. They can start at the most inopportune moment. If, for example, you were once a victim of a severe flood and survived only by a miracle, then TV shows with floods, even if in another part of the world, can cause you a flashback, and most likely they will.
It is necessary to be treated by professional psychotherapists.
But remember, no one but yourself knows your life well, so you can best help yourself. But you should always have good friends around who will tell you what you are doing wrong, and not try to constantly flatter you. Flattery is deception, and people often do this only badly to a person, because PTSD is a change in the psyche, and embellishing events and behavior, instead of rational criticism, will only consolidate negative trigger points, and a person will consider it normal that everything is fine, calm down.
Diagnostic criteria
A. A traumatic event.
The person was a participant or witness in a traumatic event, such as a war, disaster, fight, or sexual assault.
B. Recurring memories of trauma. Flashbacks.
A person repeats conversations about the same thing, but in different emotional tones. They can be one-time or repeated with a certain frequency, or not related to external events, so that memories can generate a series of inferences, which can lead to relapses.
Dissociative reactions in which a person feels as if he is reliving an event.
C. Avoidance.
Whenever he talks about some long-standing events, he avoids talking or abruptly switches to changing the tone of a normal conversation.
It should be borne in mind that there is a rather hidden type of people who do not show their emotions, so it is more difficult to deal with them.
A person tries to avoid situations and people that may remind them of a traumatic event. This can only be diagnosed by relatives or friends who know the person well.
D. Disorders of cognitive and emotional functions.
At least two of the following symptoms:
Negative changes in thinking and mood associated with the event, including difficulty remembering important aspects of the trauma.
Feeling alienated or emotionally disconnected.
Constant negative thoughts about yourself or others.
E. Changes in the response.
Symptoms include two or more of the following:
Excessive response to stimuli (rude or aggressive response).
Pathological anxiety or fright.
Problems with concentration or perseverance.
Sleep disorders.
F. Duration of symptoms.
Symptoms should last more than a month or more.
G. Clinically significant deterioration.
Initial symptoms may occur years or even decades later.
Symptoms cause difficulties in different areas of life. A person often becomes a social phobe, withdraws into himself, even if he is in a company.
For an accurate diagnosis and treatment, it is recommended to consult a specialist. This can be a neurologist, psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist.
Treatment methods
A. Psychotherapy:
Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT): These sessions are conducted both in groups and individually under the guidance of an experienced psychotherapist. The human subconscious mind is quite complex, studied, but many