It would be reasonably safe to say that most if not all adults are aware of PTSD and of course in each culture it maybe referred to under a different name. Regardless of what PTSD is known as in different countries, the debilitating effects of this condition are all too easily recognisable by anyone whom has had even a modicum of Mental Health training.
Classicaly the clinical symptoms described in the Diagnostic & statistical Manual of mental Disorders IV or DSMIV are the following:
Diagnostic Features
The essential feature of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor involving direct personal experience of an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or other threat to one's physical integrity; or witnessing an event that involves death, injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of another person; or learning about unexpected or violent death, serious harm, or threat of death or injury experienced by a family member or other close associate (Criterion A1). The person's response to the event must involve intense fear, helplessness, or horror (or in children, the response must involve disorganized or agitated behavior) (Criterion A2). The characteristic symptoms resulting from the exposure to the extreme trauma include persistent reexperiencing of the traumatic event (Criterion B), persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness (Criterion C), and persistent symptoms of increased arousal (Criterion D). The full symptom picture must be present for more than 1 month (Criterion E), and the disturbance must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (Criterion F).
I would venture and from both personal and professional experience that many people remain undiagnosed due to this very narrow definition and are treated for other conditions for many years (without success)until a psychiatrist realises that PTSD is driving all the other symptoms.
The conventional treatments offered consist of medications which serve only to reduce the severity of the symptoms or mask them entirely but without resolving the real issues. I have worked with many patients whom have received conventional treatment via a psychiatrist and have ended up with other even worse problems due to the side effects of the medications that they were prescribed. in cases where patients have been prescribed benzodiazepines such as Valium or Lorazepam, these patients have developed an addiction to these major tranquilizers and find themselves unable to do without them. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence in the UK (NICE) has over the years published guidelines dealing with treatments of Mental Disorders such as Anxiety, Depresssion and PTSD and currently advocates the use of Cognitive Behavioural therapies or CBT. These interventions have indeed demonstrated a very positive effect in many cases although the process is sometimes very long and the results may not be permanent. indeed the improvements in the condition in most cases are only partial.
In theory it should take only the same amount of time to undo something as it did to do it in the first place.
When I am speaking of trauma, my feelings are that there are two kinds of Post Traumatic stress effects.
The first is the type of PTSD caused by a single traumatic event, such as being involved in a car crash or any such single occurrence events.
The second type is PTSD that is caused by sustained or repetitive exposure to unpleasant events such as being subjected to physical or sexual abuse over a period of time or perhaps having to deal with the aftermath of unpleasant events on a regular basis such as is the case with Ambulance/Fire or Police crews that routinely attend events which most people would never be exposed to.
I postulate that in the case of the first type of PTSD, it is possible to resolve any symptoms in one single session if the subject/patient is clear about the event that caused their PTSD.
In respect to the second kind of PTSD it is perhaps necessary to conduct more than one session to completely extinguish the unpleasant symptoms as there will inevitably be more than one aspect to the presentation and it maybe necessary to address several events before the whole deck of cards eventually fall.
In the first case the root cause of the problem is clear and the therapist can address this directly and metaphorically speaking, can pull out the weeds complete with the roots. In the second instance where no one event can be identified then the therapist will have to hack away at the overgrown bushes before a root can be identified.
I have during my professional career successfuly treated a great many individuals for the effect of PTSD, many of whom had suffered for many years. These same individuals had been treated by psychiatrists and other therapists but with only limited relief if any.
Using a simple therapy which concentrates on extinguishing the emotional (irrational)responses that are triggered by memories, events or other stressful situations, and permanently resolving the issues. I have so far been 100% successful in this and I can offer my clients a real solution to problems that have plagued them for years without the use of drugs or the need for any major intellectual efforts on their part as is demanded by treatments like CBT.
if you feel you would like to know more about this then please drop me a line and i will do my best to help!
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