Psychological Traumatic-Stress Disorders
Types, Symptoms, Causes, & TreatmentsPsychological or emotional trauma can occur when one experiences an event (or several events) in which death, serious injury, or sexual assault, are threatened— or actually occur. A person can also be traumatized by hearing of these events happening to a loved one. First responders and soldiers can experience psychological trauma as a result of repeated exposures to these types of events.
Traumatic-Stress Disorders manifest as either Acute Stress Disorder or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depending on several factors, including how long symptoms last. With medical support and psychotherapy, survivors of trauma can learn ways to manage, reduce, or eliminate their symptoms and reclaim their lives.
How Trauma Can Affect the Mind and Body
During the TraumaTypes of Psychological Trauma-Related Disorders
Acute Stress Disorder is characterized by symptoms that persist for at least 3 days and last up to a month following exposure to a traumatic event. These distressing and recurrent symptoms could include:
- Reliving the trauma (nightmares, flashbacks)
- Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
- Dissociation (being in a daze, forgetting parts or all of the trauma)
- Negative mood
- Hyperarousal (sleep problems; irritability; concentration problems)
Following a traumatic event, the incidence of Acute Stress Disorder varies from 6-50% depending on the nature of trauma.
PTSD is characterized by significant distress as a result of symptoms that persist for more than four weeks and make it difficult to function in one or more areas of one’s life.
Symptoms of PTSD can include:
- Reliving the trauma (nightmares, flashbacks)
- Active avoidance of reminders of the trauma
- Negative changes in thinking and mood
- Hyperarousal (irritability; reduced concentration; sleep issues)
Symptoms
PTSD is characterized by symptoms that last longer than 1 month following exposure to a traumatic event, cause disruption in one or more areas of a person’s life, and are not the result of a medical issue, substance or alcohol use, or other injury. These symptoms might begin within hours or days of the traumatic event or might not become active until decades following the event.
Symptoms of PTSD might include:
- Flashbacks (Note: In children, this might show itself in the form of serious repetitive play in which they reenact parts of the trauma)
- Emotional or physical distress triggered by reminders of the trauma
- Nightmares or night terrors (Note: In children, this might present as nightmares or night terrors in which they don’t remember what their dreams were about)
- Memory loss regarding parts or all of the traumatic event
- Inability to feel positive emotions (joy, hope, peace)
- Feeling dazed
- Feeling like you are in a dream or your body isn’t yours
- Avoiding memories or reminders of the trauma
- Problems getting to sleep or staying asleep
- Irritability and being easily angered
- Being unable to relax
- Concentration problems
- Always assessing your surroundings for possible threats
- Being easily startled
- Having ongoing negative beliefs about oneself, other people, or the world
- Persistent fear, terror, guilt, rage, shame, or other distressing emotions
- Feeling disconnected from other people
- Engaging in high-risk behavior (getting into fights, driving while intoxicated) or self-destructive behavior (self-injuring, increased alcohol or substance use)
PTSD is characterized by significant distress as a result of symptoms that persist for more than four weeks and make it difficult to function in one or more areas of one’s life.
Symptoms of PTSD can include:
- Reliving the trauma (nightmares, flashbacks)
- Active avoidance of reminders of the trauma
- Negative changes in thinking and mood
- Hyperarousal (irritability; reduced concentration; sleep issues)
While not a diagnosis, Complex Trauma symptoms refer to a unique set of symptoms that have been observed, in addition to PTSD symptoms, among children and adults who experienced prolonged repeated trauma (possibly over months or years), while living in a state of captivity and under the control of the perpetrator(s) of the trauma. It usually involves betrayal by someone in a position of power. The following are examples of traumatic experiences that might give rise to complex trauma symptoms: domestic violence; child abuse or neglect; concentration camps; war; prisoner of war camps; sex trafficking; systemic racism.
The following are symptoms of complex trauma (some or all may be present):
- Repeated self-inflicted harming behaviors (self-injury, eating disorders, substance abuse)
- Increased victimization at the hands of others
- Loss of, or injury to, one’s sense of self— seeing oneself as “damaged,” less than human, shameful
- Ongoing physical pain (headaches, stomach pain, body aches) without an obvious physiological cause
- Difficulty managing emotional distress and not having the ability to calm oneself when upset
- May also suffer from diagnosed anxiety and/or depression
- Inability to trust or feel close to others
- Lack of purpose or meaning in life
- Feeling of ongoing connection to the abuser/perpetrator
How to Get Help for Psychological Trauma-Related Disorders
- Type of trauma experienced: Depending on the type of trauma experienced, (domestic violence, sexual assault, military service, first responders), there may be specific associations, agencies, or groups that offer therapy services or peer support services. Therapists might also specialize in providing trauma therapy to survivors of specific types of trauma.
- Developmental stage: Some mental health professionals will have expertise with specific age groups (children, families, youth, adults, seniors)
- Presence of other mental illnesses: Trauma-related disorders sometimes occur with other illnesses such as addictions, depression, or anxiety. Some therapists or therapy programs are specifically geared towards survivors of trauma who are dealing with PTSD and another of these illnesses.
- Access to health insurance: Whether you have it, and if it covers specific medical, psychological, or counseling services.
Source : Choosingtherapy.com