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Trauma And Its AftermathHurtful events live long in the memory. Most of us have lingering recollections of some distant injustice – perhaps of persistent bullying at high school, or the sudden pain of a biking accident at a tender age. In many cases, these memories are shunted to the back of the brain; only from time-to-time are we reminded of the half-forgotten hurt.
Forgetfulness is not a luxury afforded to those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however. For them, memories of hurtful events have a persistent viciousness, affecting daily activities. In the general population, as many as 1 in 10 people are afflicted by PTSD-related symptoms at some point in their lives. When Hurtful Events Become TraumaticWhether a hurtful event becomes traumatic depends on the subjective experience of those who live through it. Take the example of two people involved in the same traffic accident. While both may be subject to a similar level of physical trauma, their subsequent psychological trauma depends on how their brains process the event alongside environmental factors that may help or hinder mental recovery.
This subjectiveness implies that a wide range of hurtful events are potentially traumatic. Nevertheless, certain patterns can be discerned in patients that present with PTSD-like symptoms. Common events that can give rise to PTSD include (but are not limited to) threats to life such as: - Physical abuse committed by others, e.g. rape or other types of assault - Bearing witness to violent events, e.g. in the context of war or criminal activity - Accidents and catastrophes, e.g. traffic collisions or weather-related disasters - Natural threats to health, particularly when occurring suddenly and violently, e.g. a miscarriage or heart attack - Death or impairment of a loved one Symptoms of Post-Traumatic StressSymptoms are varied. Some patients regularly re-experience the traumatic event, e.g. through vivid flashbacks, causing repeated distress. Such intrusive thoughts bear some resemblance to symptoms experienced by patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, with the difference that they are directly related to the traumatic event. Intrusions may also generate distorted impressions of the event, giving rise to feelings of guilt or shame. However, not all patients with PTSD have such a close connection with the originating trauma. In fact, it is possible to be diagnosed with PTSD even if one’s recollection of the event is hazy. Other symptoms may include sustained experience of some of the following:
- Excessive fear and avoidance of situations that are seen to increase the risk of experiencing repeated trauma - Distorted response to external events, particularly for events that appear to resemble the originating trauma, such as irritability, anger, or hypervigilance (“fight or flight” response) - Depressive symptoms such as sadness, apathy and detachment - Problematic sleep |
Credit: James Green
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