Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) :Extremely stressful or traumatic events, such as , natural disasters and combat etc take the people who experience them at an increased risk for developing psychological disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. The disorder was called combat neurosis and shell shock and  in 20th century

In previous DSM editions PTSD was listed along with the anxiety disorders. In DSM-5, at the present PTSD is listed within a group known as Trauma-and-Stressor-Related Disorders. 

For the diagnosis of PTSD, a person must be experience exposed to or witness, the facts of a traumatic experience (for example a first responder). The person may expose to sexual violence, serious injury and threat of death. 

Symptoms of PTSD contain disturbing and upsetting memories of the incident, flashbacks (condition that can end starting from a few seconds for a number of days, throughout the period person relives the incident and shows as that the incident were happening at that moment.

In this psychological disorder an individual shows avoidance of stimulus associated with the incident, negative emotional states of anger, shame, guilt, and fear are persistently present, thoughts of detachment from other peoples, irritability, proneness toward outbursts, and an exaggerated startle response for at least one month.

Learning And The Development Of PTSD

PTSD learning models propose that most of the symptoms are maintained and developed through classical conditioning. The traumatic incident could proceed as unconditioned stimuli that draw out an unconditioned response that and resulted in extreme anxiety and fear.

DSM 5 Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD:

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Note: The subsequent criterion can be applicable to children older than 6 years, adolescents and adults.

A. experience to serious injury, sexual violence or actual or threatened death, in one (or

more) of the following ways:

1. Directly experiencing the traumatic event(s).

2. Observing, in self, the incident(s) as it happened to others.

3. Learning that the traumatic incident(s) happen to a near

friend or a family member. The incident must have been violent or accidental in cases of real or exposed death of a family member or friend.

4. Experience frequent or intense exposure to aversive particulars of the traumatic incident(s) (e.g., first responders police officers frequently exposed to information of child abuse: collecting human remains).

Note: A4 criteria do not applicable to exposure through television, pictures, movies or electronic media or unless this exposure is related to work.

B. Occurrence of one (or more) of the subsequent interference symptoms linked with the traumatic incident(s), start subsequent to the traumatic event(s) occurred:

1. Intrusive, recurrent, involuntary, and upsetting recollections of the traumatic incident(s).

Note: Older than 6 years of children show themes or aspects of the traumatic event(s) repetitively through play

2. Persistent upsetting dreams that show the content and/or influence of the dream are associated to the traumatic event(s).

Note: There may be frightening dreams in children without identifiable content.

3. Dissociative responses for example flashbacks in which the person acts or feels as if the traumatic incident(s) were recurring. (Such effects may happen on a continuum, through the most intense expression being an absolute loss of awareness of present surroundings.)

Note: Trauma-specific reenactment can occur in play in children.

4. Extreme or extended psychological suffering at exposure to external or internal cues that resemble or symbolize any part of the traumatic incident(s).

5. Noticeable physiological response to external or internal signs which  resemble or  symbolize a single aspect of the traumatic incident(s).

C. continuous evasion of stimulus linked to the traumatic incident(s), starting after the traumatic incident(s) happened.

Treatment : PTSD are treated with  serotonergic antidepressants (SSRIs). 

Exoposure therapy. Cognitive behaviour therapy and eye movement decensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

PTSD is a psychological disorder which can be treated with the combination of both medication and therapies. So it is completely curable.