Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder Post traumatic stress disorder

Scholarly paper by

Aimal khan Submitted to Madam Attia Rehman

Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder Index

Introduction of the topic Significance of the topic &ody of the paper (onclusion of the paper References

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Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder

Introduction
Definition Post traumatic stress disorder "P+S,% is a mental health condition that-s triggered by a terrifying e.ent/ Symptoms may include flashbacks0 nightmares and se.ere anxiety0 as 1ell as uncontrollable thoughts about the e.ent/ 2R Post traumatic stress disorder "P+S,% is an emotional illness that de.elops 1hen a person is exposed to a highly dangerous0 .ery terrifying0 possibly life threatening e.ent/ 3hile most people tend to associate P+S, 1ith soldiers0 this emotional disorder can de.elop in other people 1ho ha.e also experienced extremely stressful e.ents that are outside the range of 1hat is considered to be a normal human experience/

Many people 1ho go through traumatic e.ents ha.e difficulty ad4usting and coping for a 1hile/ &ut 1ith time and taking care of yourself0 such traumatic reactions usually get better/ In some cases0 though0 the symptoms can get 1orse or last for months or e.en years/ Sometimes they may completely shake up your life/ In a case such as this0 you may ha.e post traumatic stress disorder/

5etting treatment as soon as possible after post traumatic stress disorder symptoms de.elop may pre.ent long term post traumatic stress disorder/ 2n significance of post traumatic stress disorder I 1ill share one of the article 1hich 1as about to examine the mediational significance of posttraumatic stress disorder and the de.elopment of eating disorder symptomatology follo1ing sexually traumatic experiences/ Se.enty one .ictims of sexual trauma and *$ control sub4ects completed inter.ie1s and 6uestionnaires assessing eating disorder psychopathology and

Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder

posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology/ Mediational analyses 1ere conducted examining the relationships among trauma0 posttraumatic stress0 and eating disorder symptoms/ Mediational significance 1as assessed by the drop in the o.erall correlation bet1een trauma and eating disorder symptoms 1hen post traumatic stress disorder symptoms 1ere included in the regression model/ +here is a significant association bet1een a history of trauma and eating disorder symptoms/ Also0 there 1as a significant association bet1een a history of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms/ Importantly0 the relationship bet1een trauma and eating disorder symptoms 1as significantly reduced 1hen posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms 1ere included in the regression analyses0 indicating mediational significance of the posttraumatic stress construct/ +hese findings 1ere most pronounced for the physiological arousal and a.oidance components of posttraumatic stress disorder/ +he present findings support the idea that indi.iduals 1ho de.elop eating disorders after sexual trauma are likely to ha.e experienced posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology/ +hese findings ha.e significant implications for causal models of eating disorder onset in trauma .ictims/ 7urthermore0 clinical inter.entions for traumati8ed eating disordered indi.iduals may benefit from a focus on posttraumatic stress symptomatology/

Body
History and Background information &ecause people ha.e been experiencing extremely stressful0 potentially life threatening e.ents for centuries0 clearly post traumatic stress disorder is a condition that has plagued humans for 6uite some time before the American psychiatry association officially recogni8ed it as an emotional disorder/ In fact0 throughout our history0 post traumatic stress disorder has been called a number of other different names including battle fatigue or gross stress reaction for soldiers 1ho

Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder

came do1n 1ith post traumatic stress disorder after 3orld 3ar II combat fatigue or shell shock for soldiers 1ho experienced post traumatic stress disorder symptoms after 3orld 3ar I/ 9nfortunately0 before the medical community recogni8ed post traumatic stress disorder as a .iable emotional disorder0 most leaders and doctors thought it 1as simply nothing more than co1ardice or personal 1eakness/ Although post traumatic stress disorder 1as largely disregarded for decades0 the :ietnam 3ar brought significant public attention to this emotional disorder 1hen doctors began to diagnose it as post :ietnam syndrome/ +he :ietnam .eterans 1ho suffered from this disorder pushed the medical and the military community to recogni8e it as a legitimate disorder/ +oday0 about ; percent to < percent of the general population 1ill de.elop post traumatic stress disorder / +hese numbers go up significantly for .eterans and rape .ictims0 among 1hom post traumatic stress disorder has any1here from a 1) percent to !) percent chance of de.eloping/

Pakistan Post traumatic stress disorder "P+S,% is the most commonly studied and probably the most debilitating psychological disorder that occurs after disasters =iterature re.ie1 has re.ealed that findings of our study are in accordance 1ith pre.ious studies/ +he rates of P+S, "'#/!>% reported in our study of destitute 1omen in shelter camp are .ery high/ +he study of Maramara earth6uake sur.i.ors0 ";/# on Ritcher Scale%0 post traumatic stress disorder rates 1ere !'> in a group of earth6uake sur.i.ors not seeking any treatment ser.ices/ Similar type of study by same authors conducted on Maramara earth6uake sur.i.ors 1ho 1ere seeking treatment for psychological distress0 the rates of post traumatic stress disorder in this group 1as ?!>/ +he rates of post traumatic stress disorder in our study are high because of the presence of certain specific risk factors in our group/ 7irstly0 our study sample 1as comprised of 1omen only/ 7emale gender has

Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder

consistently been sho1n to be a risk factor for the onset of P+S, after disasters/ Researches ha.e sho1n that 1omen are more likely than men to ha.e P+S, after natural disasters/ (learly in our study 1e chose high risk destitute 1omen only0 hence no comparison can be made in context of gender differences/ +he pre.alence of post traumatic stress disorder 0 ,epression0 7ear and A.oidance 1ere substantially high in our group because these destitute 1omen 1ere li.ing in shelter tent houses 1ith minimum li.ing resources and uncertainty about their life prospecti.e/ Most of these 1omen 1ere illiterate0 unemployed0 had lost their husbands and had small children to look after/ =iterature re.ie1 has also pro.ided many e.idences for these correlates of post traumatic stress disorder after natural disasters like earth6uake/ A study in Hanshin A1a4i earth6uake .ictims sho1ed that lo1 social support is associated 1ith a higher likelihood of post traumatic stress disorder / Another study by Pulcino et al "*))!% sho1ed that 1omen@s post traumatic stress disorder symptoms ha.e been sho1n to increase as their a.ailable social supports drop off/ (hange in the social net1ork0 1hich may in.ol.e a decrease in a.ailable social support0 may be more de.astating for 1omen than for men due to its negati.e effect on their coping ability/ In our study the mean age of sample 1as !' years/ In terms of age0 re.ie1 of literature has sho1n that middle aged adults appear to be the group most affected by disasters/ +his age group may ha.e more burdens and stresses0 such as caring and pro.iding support for a family0 that may be increased than before as aftermath of a disaster/ +he findings of our study pro.ide e.idence for a link bet1een se.erity of post traumatic stress reactions and other risk factors for post traumatic stress disorder like marital status0 being trapped under rubble0 loss of family members0 loss of property0 history of pre.ious trauma0 history of psychiatric illness0 intensity of fear during earth6uake and proximity to epicenter/ Proximity to epicenter has been identified as important risk factor for post traumatic stress disorder in sur.i.ors/ In our study sample all the participants belonged to .alleys close to epicenter region therefore the presence of this risk factor 1as understood and conse6uently found to be associated 1ith post traumatic stress disorder in these 1omen/

Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder

Analyses of other studies ha.e also sho1n that the most important risk factors for the de.elopment of post traumatic stress disorder are the extent of exposure to the disaster and the scope of the disaster/ &esides0 re.ie1 of studies ha.e sho1n that higher pre.alence rates ha.e been reported in studies conducted on specific groups0 e/g/ including clinical samples and persons 1ho 1ere in areas hea.ily affected by the disaster/ +he higher rates of psychiatric morbidity in our sample could be attributed to this reason as the sample comprised of only those destitute 1omen li.ing in a shelter camp in the outskirts of Mansehra and all these 1omen came from the .alley close to the epicenter/ In our study other risk factors like history of pre.ious trauma and pre.ious history of psychiatric illness also found to be significantly associated 1ith +raumatic Stress Symptom (hecklist scores of destitute 1omen/ Pre.ious studies ha.e sho1n that persons 1ith preexisting or concurrent psychiatric co morbidity and persons 1ho ha.e pre.iously experienced traumatic e.ents or substantial stressors also ha.e higher risks of disaster related post traumatic stress disorder/ ,etail literature re.ie1s pro.ide .arious e.idences that disasters can cause serious mental health and emotional conse6uences for .ictims/ An empirical re.ie1 of literature by Aorris et al sho1ed that in ?<> of their research samples found post traumatic stress in disaster .ictims/ He found that the second most common psychiatric problem 1as depression found in !?> of the samples/ Anxiety in .arious forms 1as sho1n in !*> of the samples/ In our study #!> of destitute 1omen reported that they 1ere extremely bothered and !<> reported that they 1ere fairly bothered by depression symptoms/ +he high pre.alence rates of psychiatric morbidity in our sample cannot be attributed to the presence of one or t1o risk factors/ +he fact is that these risk factors do not operate in isolation/ Any single factor is often interrelated 1ith others/ As it is commonly reported that female sur.i.ors of disaster are more seriously affected than male sur.i.ors and there are se.eral possible explanations for this difference e/g/ lo1 socioeconomic status is a risk factor for post disaster psychopathology0 and 1omen more often li.e in po.erty than men/ +he gender difference may be in part explained by differences often obser.ed bet1een the genders in the 1ay psychological distress is articulated/ In general0 1omen are more likely than men to ackno1ledge psychological

Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder

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symptoms and they report them to the health care pro.ider or other support system/

Treatment Post traumatic stress disorder treatment can help you regain a sense of control o.er your life/ 3ith successful post traumatic stress disorder treatment0 you can also feel better about yourself and learn 1ays to cope if any symptoms arise again/ Post traumatic stress disorder treatment often includes both medication and psychotherapy/ (ombining these treatments can help impro.e your symptoms and teach you skills to cope better 1ith the traumatic e.ent B and life beyond it/ In these medicines must commonly used medications are the antipsychotic drugs 1hich is used in the se.ere anxiety and related problems/ Antidepressants can also help to relie.e the symptoms of both depression and anxiety/ +hey can also help impro.e sleep problems and impro.e your concentration/ +he selecti.e serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications sertraline and paroxetine are 7,A appro.ed for the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder. +hese drugs also can impro.e feelings of anxiety and stress/ Pra8osin is medication used for the symptoms include insomnia or recurrent nightmares0 a drug called pra8osin "Minipress% may help/ Pra8osin0 1hich has been used for years in the treatment of hypertension0 also blocks the brain-s response to an adrenaline like brain chemical called norepinephrine/ Although this drug is not specifically appro.ed for the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder0 pra8osin may reduce or suppress nightmares in many people 1ith post traumatic stress disorder/ Cou and your doctor 1ill need to 1ork together to figure out the best treatment0 1ith the fe1est side effects0 for your symptoms and situation/ Cou may see an impro.ement in your mood and other symptoms 1ithin a fe1 1eeks/

Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder

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&e sure to tell your health care professional about any side effects or problems you ha.e 1ith the medications0 as you may be able to try something different Psychotherapy

Se.eral types of therapy may be used to treat both children and adults 1ith post traumatic stress disorder/ Cou may try more than one0 or combine types0 before finding the right fit for you/ Cou may also try indi.idual therapy0 group therapy or both/ 5roup therapy can offer a 1ay to connect to others going through similar experiences/ Cognitive therapy. +his type of talk therapy helps you recogni8e the 1ays of thinking "cogniti.e patterns% that are keeping you stuck B for example0 negati.e or inaccurate 1ays of percei.ing normal situations/ In post traumatic stress disorder treatment0 cogniti.e therapy often is used along 1ith a beha.ioral therapy called exposure therapy/ Exposure therapy. +his beha.ioral therapy techni6ue helps you safely face the .ery thing that you find frightening0 so that you can learn to cope 1ith it effecti.ely/ A ne1 approach to exposure therapy uses D.irtual realityD programs that allo1 you to re enter the setting in 1hich you experienced trauma B for example0 a D:irtual Ira6D program/ Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing . +his type of therapy combines exposure therapy 1ith a series of guided eye mo.ements that help you process traumatic memories/ All these approaches can help you gain control of lasting fear after a traumatic e.ent/ +he type of therapy that may be best for you depends on a number of factors that you and your health care professional can discuss/

Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder

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Medications and psychotherapy also can help you if you-.e de.eloped other problems related to your traumatic experience0 such as depression0 anxiety0 or alcohol or substance abuse/ Cou don-t ha.e to try to handle the burden of post traumatic stress disorder on your o1n/ !ternative medicine Acupuncture may be helpful in impro.ing the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder/ More research is needed to fully understand the safety and effecti.eness of acupuncture as a treatment for post traumatic stress disorder / +alk 1ith your doctor if you-re interested in adding acupuncture to your treatment plan/ Post traumatic stress disorder can significantly strain the emotional and mental health of the affected person-s caregi.ers and lo.ed ones/ In fact0 the term Dcompassion fatigueD 1as coined to describe the feelings0 such as depression and helplessness0 that commonly de.elop in those close to a person 1ith post traumatic stress disorder/ Hearing about the trauma that led to your lo.ed one-s may be extremely painful for you0 and may cause you to reli.e difficult e.ents in your o1n life/ +he person you lo.e may seem like a different person than you kne1 before the trauma B angry and irritable0 for example0 or 1ithdra1n and depressed/ If someone you lo.e has post traumatic stress disorder0 you may find yourself a.oiding his or her attempts to talk about the trauma or feeling hopeless that your lo.ed one 1ill get better/ At the same time0 you may feel guilty that you can-t fix your lo.ed one or hurry up his or her process of healing/ In order to take care of yourself and your lo.ed one0 it-s critical that you make your o1n mental health a priority/ Eat right0 exercise and rest/ (ontinue to take time alone or 1ith friends0 doing acti.ities that help you recharge/ If you continue to ha.e difficulty coping0 talk 1ith your doctor/ He or she may refer you to a therapist 1ho can help you 1ork through your emotions

Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder

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Conc!usion
Post traumatic stress disorder is the type of psychological illness that occur due to the some accidents or e.ents 1hich impact 1hole life of that person/ Person 1ill experience different types of the issues0 some times the signs and symptoms are become good but sometime it become 1orse/Histroy sho1s that the post traumatic stress disorder 1as also present in the past in the people specially the soldiers 1hich 1ere fighting against their enemies/ After 1ar these soldiers 1ere affected by different types of stress disorder that the doctors gi.e the name post traumatic stress disorder/ In Pakistan most of the people ha.e the post traumatic stress disorder due to the many reasons like the disasters for example the earth 6uake0 the flood the 1ar against terrorism0 so many reasons 1hich impact a lot the life of the people of the Pakistan and they are in.ol.ed in so many psychological problems /,ue to these psychological problems the people of Pakistan ha.e de.elop post traumatic stress disorder/ ,ifferent types of medicines are used for the treatment of the post traumatic stress disorder /Actually they 1ant to relie.e the symptoms of the disease/ Alternati.e medicines are also used for the post traumatic stress disorder such as acupuncture etc/

Running Head: post traumatic stress disorder

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references o http:FFa4p/psychiatryonline/org o http:FF111/disastermetalhealthn4/comFne1sletter/ o http:FF111/iom/edu/ o http:FF111/4pps/com/pkFdisplayGarticles/aspHdI1$*JpIart http:FF111/mayoclinic/comFhealthFpost traumatic stress disorderF,S))*#? o http:FF111/ncbi/nlm/nih/go.FpubmedF1<$1111; o http:FF111/ncbi/nlm/nih/go.FsitesFentre8HdbIpubmed o http:FF111/1ho/intFenF o =embcke K/ +he Splitting Image: Myth0 Memory and =egacy of :ietnam/ Ae1 Cork: Ae1 Cork 9ni.ersity PressL1''</Scott 3K/ +he Politics of Read4ustment: :ietnam :eterans Since the 3ar/ Ae1 Cork: Aide de 5ruyterL 1''!/