PTSD.. more common than you may think. To be diagnosed the symptoms have to last for longer than 4 to 6 weeks concurrently. Symptoms range from severe depression and anxiety to hypervigilance.
“Shell shock” as it was first known . Was first recognized in war veterans. Society has become a bit of a war zone. This has resulted in trauma disorders being common place. If left untreated, it can be debilitating. The sufferer can experience a wide range of severe symptoms. If these symptoms last longer than a month then more attention must be paid.
First responder
So it takes a special kind of strength to be in the emergency services. When the call to action comes in, they never know what they could be walking into. More difficult to treat as there is always more than one trauma.
Paramedics are verbally and physically abused far too often. Rebellion tends to make many humans aggressive towards authority. But those working for the emergency services are people, just like us that have families, friends and loved ones. They are also members of society. As a result, there are a minority that actually abuse their position and the very people they are helping . It goes both ways in a small number of cases.
Trauma therapy
There is no actual cure for this condition. Trauma causes physical changes to the brain and the way it deals with stimuli. Quite often the patient will be in and out of therapy for most of their lives. It’s a case if learning to live with it as best you can. The condition can lie dormant for years after the casual event. If this happened in childhood, there are changes to the way the brain develops. Cognitive behavioral therapy is very effective in changing the way the brain deals with triggers. However this can be more traumatic for a while as it can involve reliving the trauma in their minds. Hypnotherapy would bring the causal event forward from the unconscious mind to the conscious mind.
In many cases medication cannot be used in a high enough dose to be effective. This is due to many of them driving emergency vehicles. So what can be done to help? Time, patience and understanding from those around them is a good start. Loving someone with PTSD can be confusing and draining. Owing to the fact you are not always dealing with the same person. In fact during an episode of high symptoms, it can seem as though you never knew them at all.
PTSD… in young people
When trauma occurs in childhood it can be years before their family is aware of the event. Quite often the child will keep it to themselves for fear of reprisal. In abuse cases, there is fear of the abuse getting worse if they seek help and the abuser is exposed. They can be threatened with violence or further torture. Fear of being discredited. In some cases of sexual abuse, the child can feel guilty and isolated. Trauma can be pushed to the back of the mind for decades and brought to the fore. Triggers can seem unrelated to the trauma itself and seem insignificant. In some cases, regression therapy is useful. All involve revisiting the trauma itself and experiencing every detail.
Everyone is different
We are all different and respond in different ways. It’s about finding the most effective therapy for you. There are so many ways in which this condition can be treated. A mixture of different therapies can be of great help. NLP, neuro linguistic programming and hypnosis together. Counselling and either CBT or NLP can be used together. Encouragement in hobbies and exercise. Finding ways for the person to channel negative energy into more creative and positive emotions. Expression and relating to music. Meditation and regression. Any of these and medication approved by a doctor. If you are diagnosed with the condition then of course you will be advised of the best referral and course of action. If you seek private therapy, then make sure your medical practitioner is aware. In the majority of cases and combinations of therapy, there is not a problem. Just don’t give up