POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND STRESS

Understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Stress

Understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Stress

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a type of anxiety disorder that can occurs after a person witnesses or experiences a traumatic event that involved a threat of injury or death. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is classified generally recognized as an anxiety disorder. However, it can also lead to other mental problems such as depression, emotional numbness and memory disturbances in which the patient feels as if reliving the trauma(Herman, 40-150). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may occur immediately after a major trauma, or take more than 6 months after the event. Some people have a more prolonged disease that can last for many years.

Stress are natural forces from we built inside and outside. An individual may respond to stress in ways that affects the him/her and his/her family. A higher stress level in the present world is marks a negative experience. However, from the viewpoint of biology, stress can be classified as a positive, negative or a neutral experience. (Bromet, 1992: pp 1377-1383)

Generally, stress relates to both external and internal elements. External elements include the physical environment around you, ones job, relationships, home, and all the related situations, challenges, problems, and desires one is confronted with on regular intervals. Factors that influence internally determine the body's capacity to respond to, and deal with, the external stress- inducing factors. Those Internal forces which impacts upon one's ability to handle stress include nutritional position, overall wellbeing levels, including emotional well-being, and the extent of rest s/he gets. (Kagee,2002,pp 88).

Higher stress level can be evident from a range of symptoms relating to emotion and behavior. Moreover, this can also contribute to physical symptoms among individual with enormous stress levels. Some common physical symptoms reported by those having excessive stress include sleep problems, tension of muscles, pain in muscles, headache, gastro problems, and fatigue and tiredness (Kagee, p 70-80). Symptoms pertaining to behavior and emotion may also accompany nervousness, anxiety, eating problems, abnormal mood swings, irritability and depression (Kagee, 2002, pp 88). Some people also report having a greater tendency to engage in unhealthy and unwanted behaviors, such as unjustifiable use of alcohol and narcotics , and tobacco smoking, poor diet or appetite and inability to exercise, than their less-stressed fellows. Though stress is usually a less harmful state, its prolonged presence can bring about serious illnesses, including PTSD (Bromet, 1992: pp 1377-1383)

PTSD arises after exposure to an extreme psychological trauma: events that produce fear, helplessness or horror, as a life-threatening danger or a risk situation for the physical. The indirect trauma, such as seeing another person in a situation of life or death, can also cause PTSD (Herman, 40-150). Accidents or other can also cause PTSD.

Not everyone exposed to such trauma will have PTSD. However, they have, can relive the traumatic event with intrusive memories, images, thoughts, dreams, memories or intense reactions to situations that reflect an aspect of the traumatic ...