Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

People who've been exposed to an event that caused or threatened them with serious physical harm sometimes develop an anxiety order known as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). About 5.2 million U.S. adults aged 18 to 54 have PTSD in any given year. However, the disorder can occur in any age group, including children and teens.

Signs & symptoms

Symptoms can develop right after the trauma or they can take months, even years, to show up. PTSD is usually diagnosed when symptoms have lasted for a month or more. The symptoms fall into three major groups:

• Reliving of the trauma
• Avoidance of thoughts or anything related to the trauma
• Agitation

More specific symptoms include:

• Flashbacks, nightmares, frightening thoughts or memories, hallucinations
• Avoiding thoughts about the trauma; staying away from people and things that trigger memories
• Having no memory of the event or parts of the event
• Emotional numbness; feeling disconnected from other people
• Problems sleeping
• Feeling irritable, angry or on edge
• Guilty feelings

Depression is common with PTSD. Drug and alcohol abuse often accompanies the depression. Anniversaries of the traumatic event can trigger symptoms. Physical symptoms also are common, such as:

• Headaches
• Gastrointestinal distress
• Immune system problems
• Dizziness
• Chest pain and other discomforts

Sometimes doctors will treat physical symptoms without knowing there's a possibility of PTSD or other emotional disorder.

Who's at risk?

PTSD can be a response to a one-time violent event like an accident, natural disaster, death, crime or surgery. It can also develop in reaction to repetitive experiences like combat, abuse, neglect, battering or deprivation.

Not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD. It may depend on how severe the trauma was and how long it lasted. Twice as many women as men develop PTSD after being exposed to trauma. Other factors that increase the likelihood of developing PTSD:

• Personal history of depression or other emotional disorders
• Family history of anxiety disorders
• Previously experienced trauma
• Alcohol or drug abuse

Professional help

If ongoing symptoms of PTSD are affecting your life, see your doctor. There are several effective ways of treating PTSD, including behavioral therapy, group therapy and exposure therapy, where people work through their traumas by gradually and repeatedly reliving them under controlled conditions. Medications such as antidepressants also can help.

Priority Health members can check here for information on getting mental health assistance.

What you can do

Here are some ways you can cope with PTSD:

• If you choose therapy, stick with it. It can take a while to feel the effects, but it will be worth it in the long run.
• Take care of yourself. Eat right, exercise and make sure you get enough sleep. Avoid anxiety enhancing substances like caffeine and nicotine. Don't lean on alcohol or unprescribed drugs for relief.
• Try not to let your symptoms get hold of you. Take a walk or practice relaxation if you feel anxious. Get busy with a hobby to help focus your attention elsewhere.
• Talk. Sharing your feelings with friends can help put things in perspective. Join a support group for people with PTSD.

Talk with a case manager

If you need extra help - perhaps because you are dealing with additional health risks - a Priority Health case manager will help you:

• Send you educational materials
• Work with your doctor if necessary
• Answer questions and offer support
  Contact a case manager now.