health problems related to mental disorders

PTSD can affect anyone. It is common, and affects around 5% of men and 10% of women some time in their life. PTSD usually doesn't just go away on its own. Without treatment, symptoms can last for months or years, or they may come and go in waves. PTSD is an environmental shock that changes your brain, and scientists do not know if it is reversible.

PTSD can be either acute or chronic; the acute phase occurring directly after the trauma, while the chronic phase can come along much later. In the acute phase, PTSD is said to be treatable and curable. PTSD was first brought to the attention of the medical community by war veterans, hence the names shell shock and battle fatigue syndrome. However, PTSD can occur in anyone who has experienced a traumatic event. PTSD victims re-experience the trauma over and over and over again, in a variety of different ways. This results from the psyche's effort to "master" overwhelming perceptual stimuli.

PTSD, once referred to as shell shock or battle fatigue, was first brought to public attention by war veterans, but it can result from any number of traumatic incidents. These include kidnapping, serious accidents such as car or train wrecks, natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes, violent attacks such as a mugging, rape, or torture, or being held captive. PTSD can be worse if the sufferer experiences the trauma as an individual rather than as a member of a group of people who are suffering the same situation. Unlike earlier wars in which units went overseas together and returned together, in Viet Nam each soldier had an individual DEROS (Date of Expected Return from Overseas). PTSD is difficult to recognize, because soldiers are socialized to believe that admitting to feeling bad is weak and that seeking professional help is often viewed negatively and discouraged by the Chain of Command. The best thing you can do is get yourself the care you deserve and improve your quality of life even if there is “peer pressure” not to.

PTSD was first recognised when war veterans experienced the same symptoms. However, other terrifying events can also cause the same symptoms. PTSD is not a 'new' problem. History reveals that negative reactions to traumatic events have been known for thousands of years, only the name is new. PTSD also causes problems with non-declarative memory (subconscious or motor memory, such as remembering how to ride a bicycle). This can show up as abnormal conditioned responses and the reliving of traumatic experiences when something happens to remind the sufferer of past abuse.

Feelings either spread all over the place or remain constricted and not forthcoming. Visualization and deep breathing encourage a reconnection between mind and body, thus fostering congruence of reactions and behaviors. Feelings of intense guilt are also common. Physical symptoms such as headaches, gastrointestinal distress, immune system problems, dizziness, chest pain, or discomfort in other parts of the body are common in people with PTSD. Feelings of extreme guilt are also common.

Trauma also has the ability to bring about profound changes in identity and block normal mechanisms for correcting abnormal memory. Building on this analysis, Brewin explains why some interventions work and others are ineffective, and what could and should be done to help survivors. Traumatic Stress makes an extremely important contribution to the literature and will undoubtedly be regarded as an essential resource among PTSD researchers. With contributions by many leading experts, this work presents the current state of research and knowledge on traumatic stress and its treatment. Trauma results in a breach of mental structures. For post-traumatic stress disorder the key diagnostic criteria are previous threats of death or serious injury and a response of intense fear or helplessness.

Trauma focused treatments are more effective than non-trauma focused treatments. This review concerns the efficacy of psychological treatment in the treatment of PTSD . Traumatic childhood experiences require reassuring statements of normality to put the patient at ease: "Many people continue to think about frightening aspects of their childhood. Traumatic experiences are not common in the lives of most adolescents. However, up to 15 percent of children?could be diagnosed with PTSD.