Witnessing an actual or threatened death, serious injury, or event that poses a threat to the physical integrity of the person, to experience the event of a threat, or to injury to the death or threat of death of another person, or to an event that poses a threat to the physical integrity of the person It is the development of certain specific symptoms following a direct source of extreme traumatic stress, such as the unexpected death of a family member or a close relative, or the death by exposure to violence, serious injury, or learning that he or she is under threat of death or injury.
The individual is extremely afraid, helpless or terrified in response to the event, specific symptoms that occur as a result of encountering an extreme trauma include constantly re-experiencing the traumatic event, constantly avoiding the stimuli accompanying the trauma, general reaction There are symptoms such as a decrease in the level of sleep and the constant presence of symptoms of increased arousal. Diagnostic symptom appearance must be present for at least 1 month.
Childhood sexually traumatic events can include developmentally inappropriate sexual experiences without actual perpetration of violence and injury or threat of violence and injury. The traumatic event can be relived in a variety of ways. The person often involuntarily recalls the event over and over again, having distressing dreams in which the event is relived. In rare cases, a person may relive some elements of the event in dissociative situations lasting from a few seconds to a few hours, or even days, and the person may pretend to be experiencing the event at that time. These episodes, often described as flashbacks, are typically brief, but may be associated with prolonged stress and increased arousal.
The person constantly avoids the stimuli accompanying the trauma. The person often makes a special effort to avoid thoughts, feelings, and talking about the traumatic event. A decrease in responsiveness to the outside world, called psychic numbness or emotional anesthesia, usually begins soon after the traumatic event. The person may feel that he has no future.
The individual develops symptoms of persistent anxiety or increased arousal that were not present prior to the trauma.
Among these symptoms;
Difficulty in falling asleep, which may be due to recurring nightmares in which the traumatic event is re-experienced,
Hypervigilance,
Excessive startle response.
Some people report showing irritability or outbursts of anger, or having difficulty concentrating on a particular topic or finishing their work.
Causes that increase susceptibility to PTSD:
1-Genetic load,
2- Presence of developmental problems,
3-Lack of psychological maturity,
4-Cultural expectations,
5-Mental retardation,
6-Family presence of psychotic disorder and personality disorder,
7- Having a negative attitude
8-History of physical and sexual abuse in childhood,
9-Quality, severity and continuity of trauma,
10-Meanings attributed to the event,
11-Events after the event,…
SYMPTOMS AND SYMPTOMS OF PTSD
1. Normal reactions to trauma include anxiety, depression and psychosomatic symptoms.
2.Emotional lability and dreams are frequent
3. There are constant ebbs and flows between thinking about the trauma subject and being suppressed.
4.The coping period may take up to 2 years depending on the severity of the trauma
Processes experienced after a trauma:
1- Period of lamentation:
Depending on the event There is a period of mourning in varying degrees.
2-Denial period:
After the first shock, the event is denied for a period ranging from weeks to months. During this period, there are symptoms such as amnesia, sleep disorders, somatic symptoms, hyperactivity, and withdrawal.
3-Diver (intrusive period):
In this period, people experience increased startle response, diverging thoughts, variable affect, constant hypervigilance, sleep dream disorders. There may be intense anxiety and fear of going crazy. It should be explained to the cases that this situation is temporary.
4-processing phase:
In this period, the person thinks about the meaning of the trauma, the memories about it, mourns the loss, makes plans for the future.
5-Completion phase:
Completion phase is reached by making positive plans for the future and returning to old activities.
PROGRESS IN PTSD
Although symptoms usually begin in the first 3 months after trauma, it can be months or even years before symptoms begin. The symptoms of the disorder in question and the predominance of re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal symptoms may change over time. The duration of symptoms also varies, with about half of cases having full resolution within 3 months, with many lasting more than 12 months after trauma. The severity and duration of the traumatic event and the person’s proximity to the event are the most important factors determining the development of such a disorder. There is evidence of an inherited component in the transmission of posttraumatic stress disorder. In addition, having a history of depression in first-degree relatives is associated with an increased susceptibility to developing PTSD.
