You thought it was easy

Posts Tagged ‘post’

You may have heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (or PTSD) in relation to service men and women who have suffered psychological trauma during conflict and who went on to develop symptoms of the condition on their return to civilian life. What you may not know, but, is that anyone can suffer from PTSD following an accident, illness or event which was particularly traumatic. What it’s also vital to know, is that if that event was caused by someone else, then you may be able to claim compensation for this distressing condition. Here is what you need to know about claiming for PTSD from simple claims company http://www.Claim-Simple.co.uk.

The first step is getting a right diagnosis. The last ten years have taught the medical community much about this complex and debilitating condition and most GPs and practitioners are now trained in diagnosing PTSD. The diagnosis will include identifying the event that led to the condition and if that event was caused by someone else (or an organisation) then you may be eligible for a compensation claim. Examples of PTSD claims include cases where a misdiagnosis led to a traumatic illness, operation, disability, disfigurement or miscarriage, where the victim can claim for their subsequent PTSD as part of a clinical negligence claim. Also, in cases where someone has developed PTSD as a result of a traumatic road traffic accident which was someone else’s fault, this can lead to personal injury claims and accident claims.

Once you and your medical practioner has identified your PTSD and the fact that the event that caused the condition was someone else’s fault (or the fault of an organisation or body of people such as a hospital or council), it is then time to contact a claims management company such as Claim-Simple. It’s vital that you do so within three years of the trauma in order for a successful compensation claim to be made. Armed with your diagnosis and medical records, Claim-Simple will be able to ascertain your particular case and advise on whether a claim can be made. If you do have a case to claim for your PTSD, either as a personal injury claim, accident claim, clinical or professional negligence claim, the highly trained team will take it from there and you may not even have to go to court. Claim-Simple work entirely on a no win no fee basis and ensure that you receive 100% compensation.

Given that the symptoms of PTSD are so distressing (ranging from anxiety and nightmares to insomnia and depression) and the fact that the condition can lead to prolonged absences from work and ongoing medical treatment, it’s only right that a sufferer gets compensated for this condition if it was brought about by a trauma that was not their fault. For further information on this issue, visit www.claim-simple.co.uk.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder occurs when the victim experiences or witnesses a traumatic event that causes or threatens to cause serious physical harm.  The long lasting effects of PTSD can result in intense feelings of dread, dread, rage, guilt and helplessness.  People stricken with PTSD find it hard to return to their normal lives and become excessively nervous when faced with anything that reminds them of the trauma.

Originally called shell shock or battle fatigue syndrome, PTSD has long been associated with war.  While the horrors of battle can easily cause PTSD, many other events can also have the same effect.  Losing a loved one unexpectedly, an accident or a natural disaster can all cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Children who are emotionally, physically or sexually abused are some of the most common PTSD sufferers.

Symptoms

While it is expected that victims of a tragedy will experience some shock and disarray, those experiencing PTSD will have long lasting symptoms.
If the following symptoms last longer than a month, a professional should be consulted for help:

Reliving the Ordeal – People with PTSD will often have flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, nightmares and even hallucinations about the event.  They might become especially nervous and symptomatic around anniversaries of the event or anything that reminds them of it.

Avoidance – Sufferers will go out of their way to avoid people, thoughts and situations that remind them of their trauma.  Often, they will isolate themselves from other people and family members.  Withdrawing from once-loved activities also a common occurrence.

Excessive Emotions – PTSD sufferers will often have problems controlling their urges and emotions.  This can lead to explosions in rage, problems showing affection, being extremely jumpy and having a hard time sleeping.

Physical Symptoms – Sufferers will often exhibit classic anxiety disorder reactions like tense muscles, an increased heart rate, tightness in the chest, nausea, vomiting, sweating and many others.

Retarded Development – PTSD child victims often have a hard time developing motor skills and are slow on milestone developments like walking, toilet training, talking and so on.  

While the complete effects of PTSD may never go away the problems associated with it can be dealt with.  With help from trained professionals a child victim of PTSD can learn to deal with their anxiety and lessen the physical and emotional effects.  Drugs, therapy and many other treatments can be used effectively to give the victim the peace they have been searching for.

Recently, the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) School of Medicine received a $60 million dollar grant for a five-year study to determine better prevention and treatment methods of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) among American victims and war veterans/soldiers.

The study, which is funded by the Department of Defense Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program (DoD PH/TBI), will test new therapies to “prevent illness and enhance recovery in individuals at risk for adverse psychological, emotional and cognitive outcomes” caused by TBI and PTSD, according to UC news release.

What is PTSD and TBI?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, PTSD is defined as “an anxiety disorder that develops after a terrifying event or ordeal in which severe physical harm occurred or was threatened.”

Approximately 7.7 million U.S. adults suffer from the condition, and this figure is only increasing as American veterans return home facing physical, mental and emotional stress and challenges from a combination of TBI and PTSD.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) confirms that TBI is what is known as an “bought brain injury or simple head injury” that has occurred after a trauma or blunt force negatively impacts the brain. An individual can often suffer from TBI in a mild to severe manner and most recently, more Americans who have served in the Iraq War are suffering from TBI after returning home. In fact, some researchers have stated that TBI is the signature wound of the war in Iraq.

Living with TBI, PTSD Symptoms and Side Effects

There are an array of symptoms characterize both conditions, and, the symptoms often overlap one another. The side effects commonly associated with TBI can be severe and may include the following, according to the NINDS:

* Headache

* Dizziness

* Convulsions

* Lightheadedness

* Confusion

* Blurred vision

* Ringing in the ears

* Terrible taste in the mouth

* Fatigue and lethargy

* Sleep disruptions

* Behavioral or mood changes

* Amnesia/memory troubles

* Inability to concentrate

* Difficulty paying attention

* Nausea

* Slurred speech

* Extremity numbness

* Loss of coordination

* Restlessness

* Agitation

PTSD side effects fall into three main categories, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The categories include repeated/reliving symptoms, avoidance symptoms and arousal symptoms. The repeated PTSD symptoms are:

* Reoccurring stress

* Reoccurring memories of a traumatic event

* Physical reactions to a traumatic event

* Flashback episodes of the traumatic occurrence

The PTSD avoidance symptoms include:

* Emotional numbness

* The feeling of having no future

* The inability to remember vital aspects of life

* Avoidance of people, places and objects

* Feelings of detachment

* Less emotion/expression of moods

Finally, the PTSD symptoms that fall under the arousal category are:

* Inability to concentrate

* Exaggerated emotions or responses when startled

* Hypervigilance

* Outbursts of rage and irritability

* Difficulties sleeping

PTSD victims may also find that they suffer from additional symptoms including:

* Paleness

* Fever

* Headache

* Chest Palpitations

* Dizziness

* Excitability

* Agitation

* Fainting

It is advisable for patients suffering from both brain injury-related conditions to seek medical attention, even if symptoms may not be present, the long-term effects of TBI can be severe. According to the Brain Injury Association of Americans, at least 1.4 million Americans suffer from TBI annually, nearly 50,000 die and 235,000 are hospitalized. But, it is unknown how many individuals suffer from TBI and go untreated.

Because of the severity of TBI/PTSD and the interference it can have on an victim’s life, it is possible for a traumatic brain injury victim to develop litigation. A traumatic brain injury lawsuit may provide a victim with the monetary compensation they need to pay for costly medical bills and TBI treatments. To learn more about the development of TBI lawsuit, consult with an experienced TBI attorney who will often offer a free legal consultation.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs after someone experiences a traumatic event. This emotional illness causes sufferers to avoid things that remind them of their experience and to even relive the experience over and over. This brings on a massive amount of stress, anxiety, and rage. This influx of emotion is generally a reflection of how the sufferer felt during the experience and can be extremely hard to control.  

Not all traumatic events trigger PTSD, but the ones that do are life-threatening and extremely stressful. Many sufferers are military veterans or victims of criminal behavior, such as rape or a mugging. PTSD can also be caused by witnessing such events, such as a murder, and by abuse (physical, sexual, mental, or emotional). No one knows why only certain events trigger PTSD, or why certain people are prone to it. Despite a recent focus on the illness, it is not relatively new. “Shell shock” has been attributed to thousands of soldiers who were really experiencing PTSD.

To diagnose someone with PTSD, the patient must have experienced a traumatic event. Any kind of devastating experience can spark PTSD, and sometimes it is hard to determine if the emotional response of a victim is normal or excessive. Often, PTSD cannot be diagnosed until after a normal grieving period. If, after several months, someone is still having intense emotional reactions to memories and reminds of a traumatic event, they may be suffering from PTSD.

Although PTSD may be hard to diagnose, there are treatment options available. Therapy and medication have both been shown to improve the conditions of PTSD patients. The goal with treatment is to get the patient to have a normal emotional response, or even none at all, to memories and reminders of their traumatic experience. PTSD is caused by any kind of life-altering experience and forces sufferers to relive the terror and dread they felt while it was happening. With treatment, patients will be able to continue their lives without constant dread and anxiety.

Ptsd or post traumatic stress disorder is a serious illness that is listed in the APA manual for mental disorders. Though in the past people would advise others to toughen up and not be effected by their negative past experiences, this often is not the answer. Trauma from war, physical abuse, rape, death of a parent or bullying can effect one for many years. You can’t just apply will power to conquer it.

It is considered an anxiety disorder in the DSM IV manual and can manifest as nightmares, social withdrawal, trembling, staying in one’s room, unpredictable crying bouts and stomach pains. Sometimes a trauma will be remembered during psychotherapy sessions. This can happen if one was molested by a parent, relative or neighbor and the memory was suppressed to deal with daily life. When the recollections of the past occur, this can be very disconcerting and may make problems in one’s marriage and family life. It takes time to process heavy emotions from the past and be able to trust and feel intimate with people in your present life if you were an abuse victim.

There are some studies that say one out of six returning from war in Iraq have ptsd. There is treatment available at va clinics and community mental health programs. Many soldiers feel that others can’t know their pain as they weren’t in the same quandary. A trained counselor is helpful for re-adjusting to civilian life even if they weren’t in war themselves.

If you know someone who seems to have had a trauma in their past, encourage them to seek help and show support for the various emotions of avoidance, rage outbursts and isolation that the person may be experiencing. Group counseling is another modality that can be helpful.

Over the years there have been various names for what is now termed ptsd. For instance, in past the phrase combat fatigue was used for world war one times. During world war two the terms yucky stress reaction as well as battle fatigue were used. Sadly, many people were told to just buckle up and use more resolve to deal with the negative emotions. Being able to show emotions is vital in order to feel better and restore one’s sense of normalcy.

Post traumatic stress disorder can be felt by one’s family members strongly as mood swings occur and sometimes physical symptoms requiring bed rest. Getting counseling support is very helpful to heal and be able to get rid of the guilt and accompanying emotions.

Comments ». The URI to TrackBack this entry is: http://saoirse32.blogsome.com/2010/08/09/no- negotiation -with-dissidents/trackback/. No comments yet

Original post: 
SAOIRSE32 :: 'No negotiation' with dissidents :: August :: 2010

Comments ». The URI to TrackBack this entry is: http://saoirse32.blogsome.com/2010/08/09/no- negotiation -with-dissidents/trackback/.

See the original post here:
SAOIRSE32 :: 'No negotiation' with dissidents :: August :: 2010

There is very small that you can do on your own when you suffer from PTSD. It is always advisable to consult a doctor and start treatment as early as you can. In the meantime, here are a few steps that could decrease your pain somewhat:

1.    Join a support group – it is very hard to allow yourself to dwell on the trauma you experienced. This is why most people who suffer from PTSD seem to shrink within into a world of their own. But, it is vital that you relate to others and know that you are not the only one who suffers from this immense emotional pain. Do not speak, if you do not feel inclined to do so. Just join the group and listen to the pain and experience of others. This would open a transition portal for you to cross over to feel and live normally again.

2.    Say no to drugs and alcohol – it is simple to give in to the thought that drugs and/ or alcohol would numb the pain and suffering that tortures your mind. This is not right. Stay clear from these substances. Seek medical help when you feel you cannot handle it on your own any longer. PTSD is curable and all the symptoms can be reversed with the right treatment.

3.    Stop wallowing in self-pity – your worst enemy is self-pity. This would make you feel helpless, vulnerable, like a victim. Fight and challenge such feelings. You tell yourself you can do it. Help to reaffirm your sense of being in control by doing things for others. Help those who are in need. This would give you the feeling that you have the power to make a difference in somebody’s life; and gradually reaffirm that you can take charge of your own life once again.

This condition needs intensive therapy and medication. The first step towards healing is facilitating dialogue about the experience. Counseling, therapy, NLP, hypnosis and medication are known to help PTSD patients to place the trauma behind them and lead a productive and carefree life. As with other anxiety disorders, this too if left untreated would gravitate towards depression and suicide. In this particular case, it is very vital that side by side with the person who suffers from PTSD, the family members too should participate in the therapy so they could know what to expect and how best to react to it.

The experience of being devastated by a traumatic event or events – such as combat, rape, a life-threatening illness or accident, or prolonged abuse by a parent or spouse – can leave one overwhelmed and worried that life will never go back to normal.  If one develops Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, symptoms can seem to inundate life, night and day.  This article places those symptoms into a context, a framework for understanding them.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder involves a variety of symptoms that can be grouped into three areas:  symptoms of avoidance, symptoms of re-experiencing, and symptoms of (central nervous system) hyperarousal.   This isn’t as technical as it sounds!  All of the familiar post-traumatic symptoms can be organized in this arrangement.

Symptoms of Avoidance

These symptoms are like those in any anxiety disorder:  we seek to avoid things that scare us, or in PTSD, things that remind us of the traumatic event.

Many times, people avoid places.  A man who was in a car accident feels unable to drive farther than a small distance from home.  A woman who was in a car accident is able to drive, but not down the street where the accident occurred.  Someone who was abused by clergy won’t go near a church.  A man who was sexually assaulted in a dark alley is worried to shower in the locker room at the gym.

Trauma survivors might also avoid certain people.  A woman who was gang-raped avoids crowds.  A woman who was abused as a child avoids middle-aged white men.  A man who had long, painful hospitalizations as a child avoids doctors.

Still others avoid situations that remind them of the traumatic event.  A crowded elevator, a store where the salespeople are pushy, conflicts or confrontations with colleagues or family members, contact sports, dating – the list is very long.

Symptoms of Re-Experiencing

Re-experiencing symptoms include some of those that we reckon of as the hallmarks of PTSD, such as nightmares and flashbacks.  The emotions were completely overrun during the traumatic event or events, and (by some theories) the mind keeps trying to make sense of it by re-experiencing.  

During a life-threatening or horrific event, the brain functions differently than at other times.  The part of the brain that remembers what groceries to buy, drives the car, and reads the newspaper receives less blood and is operating at a reduced level.  The “ancient brain,” which controls breathing, heart rate, and other survival requirements, is activated, and the “fight or flight” mechanism takes over.  Just as other animals do when faced with a threat, our bodies prepare to take on the threat or to run.  So the eyes are dilated, breathing and heartbeat rapid, and muscles are poised to react.

After the event is over, the memory of it is often unclear or just unfinished in the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that reads the paper and remembers events in a narrative fashion, in tales.  The ancient brain remembers the sensations, the emotions continue to be overwhelming, and the cerebral cortex just tries to make sense of it.

Re-experiencing symptoms include nightmares that are related to the trauma.  Also included are intrusive thoughts, which are thoughts about the traumatic events that occur unbidden, when the individual is thinking (or want to be thinking) of something else.  Flashbacks are episodes where the traumatic event is relived.  Sometimes these are so serious that the individual believes that the event is happening over again.  Sometimes  a partial flashback is experienced, such as seeing or hearing the event again, or feeling the same sensations in the body.

Symptoms of Hyperarousal

When emotions run high, the central nervous system rises to a high level of arousal.  In PTSD, arousal levels remain high and interfere with one’s day to day functioning.  Symptoms of hyperarousal include difficulty falling asleep, irritability, hypervigilance, an exaggerated startle response (feeling “jumpy” or jittery), and distress concentrating.

With prolonged or repeated trauma, there is some thought that the body’s ability to regulate arousal may become permanently impaired, and the individual may not be able to sleep, for example, without medication.  Others have had success with training in relaxation using meditation, mindfulness, or other relaxation techniques.

Treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

There are a variety of treatment approaches used with PTSD today.  These include behavioral approaches (exposure techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy), trauma-informed relational techniques, and body-focused techniques (Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor therapy, craniosacral therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).  Exposure treatments and cognitive behavioral therapy have received very strong research support, mostly addressing the needs of individuals who have experienced a single traumatic event and do not have other mental health problems that complicate treatment.  

People who have undergone prolonged, repeated, sometimes sadistic traumatic events, such as children who are physically and sexually abused for years by a parent, may likely require treatment that addresses more than exposure therapy targeted at a single traumatic memory.  This kind of trauma history is the precursor of what is called “Complex PTSD” (Herman, 1992).  Trauma-informed relational therapy focuses on supporting individuals in helping reduce their symptoms, making safety in their lives today, and finding a way to make meaning of their experiences (Allen, 2005; Courtois & Ford, 2009; Pearlman & Saakvitne, 1995; Saakvitne, Gamble, Pearlman, & Lev, 2000.  Body-focused techniques can be an vital adjunct to relational therapy.

Experimental Treatments

Because of the enormous suffering and awakening public awareness of the prevalence of abuse and trauma, a number of new treatments have recently been invented.  I recommend asking carefully about the qualifications of the treatment provider, and research into the efficacy of the approach, before trying any experimental treatments.  Beware of anecdotes masquerading as research!  Research means articles published in peer-reviewed professional journals, not glowing testimonials, no matter how persuasive they seem.  

Summary

In summary, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has symptoms that can feel harrowing.  These symptoms result from the physiological changes that happen to someone while they undergo a life-threatening or horrific experience.  There are many brilliant treatments available, but also some unproven, experimental techniques.

References

Allen, J. (2005). Coping with Trauma: Hope Through Understanding, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

Courtois, C. A., & Ford, J. D., (eds.) (2009).  Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders:  An Evidence-Based Manual.  New York:  Guilford Press.

Herman, J.L. (1992). Complex PTSD: A syndrome in survivors of prolonged and repeated trauma.  Journal of Traumatic Stress, 5 (3).

Pearlman, L.A., and Saakvitne, K.W. (1995). Trauma and the Therapist: Countertransference and Vicarious Traumatization in Psychotherapy with Incest Survivors. New York: W.W. Norton.

Saakvitne, K., Gamble, S., Pearlman, L., & Lev, B. (2000). Risking Connection®: A Training Curriculum for Working with Survivors of Child Abuse, Baltimore, MD: Sidran Institute Press.  

Copyright Anne Pratt 2010