Life with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Mini Guide

Post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD, is a psychological disorder that occurs after direct or indirect exposure to a traumatic event. It is mainly why PTSD is commonly found among military men, especially those who have been in a war.

According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, around 15 million people were diagnosed with PTSD in the past year. It is further said that six out of every 100 people are diagnosed with PTSD every year. Not to mention, the disorder is more common among females than males.

If you don’t know enough about it, you’re not alone. In this article today, I’m going to share with you everything there is to know about post-traumatic stress disorder. Let’s have a look:

Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

There are many symptoms of PTSD and they vary from one person to another. In order to get diagnosed with PTSD, direct or indirect exposure to a traumatic event is necessary. Apart from that, one needs to have the following symptoms to be officially diagnosed:

• Flashbacks of the traumatic event
• Unwanted upsetting memories and nightmares
• Severe emotional distress when reminded of the incident
• Decreased interest in everyday life activities
• Difficulty experiencing positive affect
• Exaggerated blame of self or others for causing the incident
• Aggression or irritability
• Difficulty sleeping and hypervigilance
• Risky or destructive behavior in severe cases

Treatment Options for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder can take a toll on your physical and mental health immediately, leaving you incapable of performing even the little tasks. Although not everyone has severe symptoms, it still isn’t something that can be ignored. Thankfully, it’s entirely curable.

Several treatment options work well when it comes to treating PTSD. A few of them include:

Lifestyle Rehabilitation 

Lifestyle rehabilitation is necessary if you wish to tame the symptoms of PTSD. From exercise to a healthy diet, everyone is crucial. Let’s talk about your diet first. Make sure to have lots of proteins and vitamins and please don’t forget to add medical herbs to your diet.

Several medicinal herbs, including trippy treats, passionflower, and valerian root work well for relieving symptoms of PTSD. The other thing is exercise. Increasing physical activity is the key if you want to improve your mood-related symptoms such as stress, anxiety, irritability, and aggression.

Allopathic Medicines 

Making changes to your lifestyle may help you control some of the symptoms of PTSD, but not all of them. Allopathic medicines are essential to treat the rest. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are usually recommended by psychiatrists.

They help alter neurotransmitters in your brain, relieving stress and easing anxiety. Besides that, they can also regulate your sleep. Still, if insomnia becomes severe and starts interfering in your everyday life, you must turn to sleep-inducing medications/tranquilizers.

Read Also: Minimizing the Health Effects of Stress With Ginkgo Biloba

Psychotherapy

The third and last is psychotherapy. It is prescribed when the patient starts moving towards recovery or in case the mood-related symptoms are out of control, psychotherapy may help ease a few of them.

Cognitive-processing therapy, prolonged exposure therapy, stress inoculation training, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing are some of the most effective psychotherapeutic processes. They can naturally help tame the symptoms of PTSD, providing you with long-term relief.

Lastly, remember that the key to a successful treatment is early diagnosis. I hope the guide helps you out. Have a wonderful day!