- 1. Symptoms of experiencing
- 2. Symptoms of agitation
- 3. Avoidance symptoms
- 4. Symptoms of altered mood
- How to confirm the diagnosis
- How the treatment is done
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder that causes excessive fear after very shocking, scary or dangerous situations, such as participating in a war, being abducted, assaulted or suffering from domestic violence, for example. In addition, in some cases, the disorder can also happen due to a sudden change in life, such as losing someone very close.
Although fear is a normal reaction of the body during and shortly after these types of situations, post-traumatic stress causes constant fear during daily activities, such as going shopping or being at home alone watching television, even when there is no apparent danger.
To identify if someone is experiencing post-traumatic stress it is important to be aware of several types of symptoms, which include:
1. Symptoms of experiencing
- Have intense memories about the situation, which cause an increase in heart rate and excessive sweating; Be constantly with frightening thoughts; Have frequent nightmares.
This type of symptoms can appear after a specific feeling or after observing an object or hearing a word that was related to the traumatic situation.
2. Symptoms of agitation
- Often feeling tense or nervous; Having trouble sleeping; Being easily scared; Having outbursts of anger.
These symptoms are common and are not caused by any specific situation and, therefore, can affect many basic activities such as sleeping or concentrating on a task.
3. Avoidance symptoms
- Avoid going to places that remember the traumatic situation; Do not use objects that are related to the traumatic event; Avoid thinking or talking about what happened during the event.
Generally, these types of symptoms cause changes in the person's daily routine, who stop doing activities that they used to do, such as using the bus or the elevator, for example.
4. Symptoms of altered mood
- Having difficulty remembering various moments of the traumatic situation; feeling less interested in pleasant activities, like going to the beach or going out with friends; having distorted feelings like feeling guilty about what happened; having negative thoughts about yourself.
Cognitive and mood symptoms, although common in almost all cases soon after the trauma, disappear after a few weeks and should only be of concern when they get worse over time.
How to confirm the diagnosis
To confirm the existence of post-traumatic stress it is recommended to consult a psychologist, to clarify the symptoms and to start the appropriate treatment, if necessary.
However, it is possible to suspect this disorder when, over the course of a month, at least 1 symptom of experiencing and avoidance appears, as well as 2 symptoms of agitation and mood.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of post-traumatic stress should always be guided and evaluated by a psychologist or psychiatrist, as it needs to be constantly adapted to help each person overcome their fears and alleviate the symptoms that arise.
In most cases, treatment begins with psychotherapy sessions, in which the psychologist, through conversations and teaching activities, helps to discover and overcome the fears developed during the traumatic event.
However, it may still be necessary to go to a psychiatrist to start the use of antidepressant or anxiolytic drugs, for example, which help to relieve symptoms of fear, anxiety and anger faster during treatment, facilitating psychotherapy.
If you have experienced a very stressful situation and are often afraid or anxious, this may not mean that you are in post-traumatic stress. So, try our anxiety control tips to assess whether they help, before looking for a psychologist, for example.
