A Bride Worth Billions (66 page)
Read A Bride Worth Billions Online
Authors: Tiffany Morgan
The world is full of unpredictable events. Natural disasters such as earthquakes and man-made violence like wars are rampant. Because these are usually unpredictable and out of one’s control, one may feel fear and anxiety. These feelings are normal. Humans are naturally programed to be afraid of the unknown. These feelings enable people to act fast and respond to the negative stimulus. While some may try to go head on and attempt to resolve the problem, others may choose to avoid or run away from it. The latter may prove to be a wise choice as this helps the individual remove himself from the harmful environment.
Days after the experience, one may still feel helpless or worried. This too is normal. After all, being exposed to an event that doesn’t usually happen can be overwhelming. Nightmares and overthinking may last for several days. However, most people are able to recover from their trauma. Little by little, they rise from their previous states and begin to live life again. Despite the memories that haunt them, they go back to their daily activities. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for most people.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a chronic mental illness that occurs to people who are unable to function normally after experiencing a traumatic event. Their conditions can last for prolonged periods of time. In effect, their disposition becomes detrimental to their daily activities. They feel as if they would never be able to return to their normal states after the horrific event. The memories of pain and suffering would continue to be fresh in their minds.
Epidemiology
Traumatic experiences are common in life. In fact, more than two-thirds of both men and women would experience or witness at least one traumatizing event within their lifetime. However, while most of these people recover, research has shown that the lifetime PTSD prevalence in American adults is around 7%. Furthermore, men were more likely to develop PTSD compared to women.
Individuals who were deployed in wars also show higher risks of developing PTSD. In fact, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs reported that almost a million war veterans who participated in the Vietnam War have experienced PTSD symptoms. Research has also shown that people who were stationed for longer periods of time in combat zones were more prone to PTSD. Statistics also report that staying in a war zone for at least a year can raise one’s PTSD development risk by as much as 14.3%.
PTSD development varies for each person. It is possible to develop PTSD in several hours, days, weeks, months, or even years. Although it is unsure how fast this condition develops, what indicates this possibility is the person’s exposure to a traumatic event.
Many people assume that PTSD is only applicable to people who served as soldiers in wars. However, they fail to realize that PTSD can be triggered by any type of traumatic event. Natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions are common causes of PTSD. Because these disasters are linked to destruction, loss of life, and economic downfall, many people’s lives can be negatively affected. In effect, they may have difficulty coping after these events. Violence and accidents are also possible contributors to PTSD. Although directly experiencing the event would raise one’s risk of PTSD development, it is still possible to develop the sickness if a person was present as a witness to the event. He may have difficulty erasing the vivid images of what happened, thus possibly making him anxious about the possibility of it happening again.
While PTSD is commonly triggered by wide-scale events, personal events that occur to the individual may also cause PTSD to surface. People who were kidnapped, raped, assaulted, or abused may develop the problem. Depending on the severity of his experience, PTSD can last for prolonged periods of time. The death of a loved one can also trigger the condition. However, although these may still serve as extreme incidents, there are other people who can possibly develop PTSD after watching horror films or similar media.
In seeing all these possible factors leading to PTSD, it’s clear that negative events are the primary culprits. Such events are usually uncontrollable and unpredictable. For the individual, these may be overwhelming and may cause him to feel helpless and weak. Even if he is removed from the event, the severity of his experience may continue to affect him.
The Biological Explanation to PTSD
It is interesting to know that one’s body is also altered when PTSD develops. Specifically, studies have shown that having higher startle responses alongside minimal hippocampal volume may indicate one’s risk for PTSD. The hippocampus is responsible for storing an individual’s memory. Other than those markers, research has also seen that soldiers who were more prone to manifest PTSD had higher amounts of glucocorticoid receptors in their white blood cells. The receptors control one’s metabolism, development, and immune response.
While external events are suggested causes of PTSD, genetics has been seen as a possible contributor to the condition. In fact, around thirty percent of PTSD cases were caused by genetics. If an individual was also born with a smaller hippocampus, he would be at risk of PTSD development if he experienced a traumatic event. Furthermore, PTSD patients were seen to manifest similar genetic structures with patients who experience other psychiatric disorders like generalized anxiety disorder.
While PTSD development can produce negative effects on the individual, his simultaneous intake of drugs and alcohol can worsen the effects. However, these abuses may even rise when one has PTSD. In effect, he would have a harder time recovering from the disease.
Although one may not know when symptoms will occur, people who do fall victim to PTSD will display distinguishable signs. Overtime, the symptoms may spontaneously appear and disappear. However, perhaps clearer indicators of PTSD would arise when the person is exposed to stimuli that remind him of the traumatic event. Hence, it is important to be aware of the person’s reactions and responses to certain noise, words, images, or even smells. In observing PTSD signs, there are three types of symptoms.
Re-experiencing the event
If the person has repetitive dreams or thoughts about a previous traumatic event, he may be experiencing PTSD. His brain hasn’t fully moved on from the event and has proceeded to occasionally entertain the negative feelings attached to it. Hence, there may be times when the individual would suddenly have flashbacks and begin to panic. Although there’s no danger around him, he may begin to act as if the event is occurring again. Nightmares revolving around the re-enactment of the event or similar themes can also be rampant. Other than these, being reminded about the experience can trigger his intense feelings of anxiety and distress. If he confronts elements associated to the event, his body may begin to work harder. These include faster heart beats, rapid breathing, vomiting, sweating, and muscle tension. Even if one may try to calm down the individual, it may take him several minutes to recover from his state.
Avoidance
Knowing that he reacts negatively to anything related to the traumatic experience, the patient may decide to avoid these stimuli. He would rather stay at home than put himself at risk of being exposed to places or activities that can remind him of the trauma. This negative behavior can worsen if he develops less interest for activities and life. In other instances, he too can distance himself from other people and appear to be apathetic. In trying to shove the memories to the back of his mind, he appears to be detached.
Emotional distress
Not all PTSD patients display the avoidance symptom. Instead, they display the opposite. Instead of appearing unaffected by the event, they portray their devastation. They are seen to be pessimistic, helpless, and worrisome. They can also become paranoid in all occasions. Furthermore, they may be more sensitive as they are easily startled. Because of their thoughts, they have difficulty working on tasks. Severe cases include patients spontaneously bursting into tears or throwing tantrums if they remember the event. Moreover, they too can have difficulty sleeping as they are continuously haunted by their experience.
As explained in the previous , multiple symptoms can surface because of PTSD. While these symptoms are severe, they also create a network of other side-effects that can harm the individual’s lifestyle.
Fear
With paranoia and anxiety always present, the patient would have prolonged feelings of fear. As seen in his symptoms, his mind could be clouded with negative thoughts and ideas about the experience. Instead of looking at his daily life with optimism, he would see this in a negative light. Because of fear, his body may also react negatively. Negative hormones could be released to cause him to feel sluggish and lazy. He may just stay at home and do unproductive activities to cope with his fears of the outside world. Hence, other side-effects such as gaining more weight are possible if he chooses to live his life in fear.
Helplessness
Because the event may have damaged his personal being, he may carry on with life feeling helpless and weak. In effect, his future work can be mediocre as he doesn’t have the drive to produce quality work. Instead, he could be close to just giving up with the tasks at hand. He may feel hopeless and see himself as a useless person. Aside from these feelings, he would also be resigned to try out new activities. He may have difficulty moving on from the past and fail to see his future responsibilities. It’s as if his world has stopped.
Obviously, being unable to work is detrimental to his life outside his personal home. His contributions to work, school, or other environments would be subpar. In effect, this may also affect how others perceive him. If he continues to appear helpless, people may just pity him or be annoyed at him. Thus, even his social appearance may be severely altered because of PTSD.
Depression
The most severe effect of PTSD would involve the surfacing of depression. Because the patient is already saddened by his previous experience, staying in this state can complicate his condition. Eventually, he may develop depression or other psychological disorders. As long as he remains in the state, his emotions would continue to be unstable, thus leading to worse problems.
In severe cases, the PTSD patient would feel worthlessness. He may then begin to think irrationally and consider taking his own life. Suicidal thoughts and other negative ideas would flood his mind. In extreme cases, death would be the end result.
Case Study: John
John was a former soldier who was deployed in the Iraq War in 2003. Throughout his stay, he was deployed in the battle fields to combat the Iraqi forces that went against the US forces. During his stay, John was exposed to multiple bombings and exchanged fire against the enemies. There, he saw three of his fellow soldiers perish and die. Although John was deployed for only several months, his return to the US proved that the effects of the war remained in him. Every night, John would frantically toss and turn in his bed. His wife, Cindy, was already alarmed as he would breathe rapidly and sweat during his sleep. At times, he would wake up with wild eyes, only to realize that he was inside the comfort of his home.
When John was invited by his friends to watch a movie, he politely agreed. However, the film featured a scene wherein gunshots were exchanged. At the moment the event was showed, John froze in his seat. Sweat rolled down his face as he watched. After a few minutes, he immediately left the cinema while his friends wondered what has gotten into him.
Eventually, John decided to stay at home. Instead of looking for a new job, he just stayed there while his wife worked. Over the weeks, his wife noticed that he has eaten and talked less. John had a dark look on his face as he would stare at the window for hours. When asked if he was alright, John would remain silent. Because of John’s strange behavior, even his children started to worry. Soon enough, his wife took John to the doctor. There, it was confirmed that he was suffering from PTSD.
It is clear that PTSD can affect the individual’s mental stability. However, in failing to have the proper attitude and behavior to live life, his physical activities would be hindered. This would lead to social problems as he is unable to carry out his tasks as a member of the society. Hence, it is clear that severe PTSD can lead to the ruin of an individual’s career and life. As much as possible, PTSD should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible to reduce its effects.
Detecting PTSD early is crucial for it to be quickly resolved. Since the process may take several weeks, it is important to immediately respond to the patient especially if symptoms have been displayed.
Background check
The patient would first undergo a medical examination. This is vital to see if there are other physical conditions that may have affected him. If he has been cleared of such problems, the patient may then be referred to a psychiatrist. Specifically, the psychiatrist would ask the patient about his history to see if there are any signs of PTSD development. Questions include the following:
- What have you been feeling over the past few weeks?
- Did you experience something negative in the past?
- Was the experience life-threatening?
- Were you sexually, physically, or emotionally assaulted?
- Did you experience a natural disaster?
- Do you feel lethargic every day?
- Do you feel worried and paranoid whenever you leave your home?
- Do you easily get angry?
- Do you have trouble sleeping?
- Do you have nightmares or flashbacks of negative events?
- Do you avoid certain places or people?
- Are you easily startled?
- Do you use illegal drugs or drink alcohol?
- Were you ever treated for other mental problems?
Depending on the answers of the patient, the doctor can also ask additional questions to collect further data. Aside from this, the doctor can also ask the patient’s companions about his behavior.
The Criteria for PTSD
For the physician to declare the patient to be experiencing PTSD, the criteria for the said disease should be met. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, created by the American Psychiatric Association, would help the psychiatrist to diagnose the mental state of his patient. The following are included in the criteria:
- The patient was present during the traumatic event.
- He is repeatedly exposed to the details of the event.
- His close friend or loved one was the victim of the traumatic event.
- He experiences nightmares related to his experience.
- Flashbacks are rampant and these make him lose focus with what he’s doing.
- He is easily distressed by stimuli that are associated to the event.
- He avoids situations that remind him of the event.
- He has a negative outlook in life.
- He may portray self-destructive behavior.
Ideally, all of these are manifested in the patient’s behavior. However, not all patients do exemplify these completely. Hence, another factor to consider involves how often these feelings and observations manifest. The duration of such symptoms can also confirm PTSD.
