PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Symptoms

There are three main symptom categories for PTSD:

1. Intrusions

(Flashbacks & Nightmares)

Patients suffering from PTSD may relive the event over and over again in their mind. This can happen during the day in the form of a flashback or when asleep in the form of a nightmare.

These flashbacks are extremely realistic and will cause the sufferer to feel as though they are re-experiencing the event again.

They may be able to see it in their mind but will also feel the same emotions (fear) and physical sensations (sweating, smells, tastes, pain) that they felt at the time.

2. Avoidance and Numbing

Patients suffering from PTSD may avoid any thoughts relating to the event by keeping their minds busy or distracting themselves with other things such as hobbies or work.

They might also begin to avoid any places or people that remind them of the event.

3. Hypervigilance

Patients with PTSD may feel “on edge” and alert all of the time, as though they are on the lookout for danger.

They may feel anxious and find it difficult to relax or sleep.

People around them may notice that they are jumpy, irritable or easily startled.

Other Symptoms

• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Feelings of fear and panic
• Irregular heartbeat
• Muscle aches and pains
• Drinking too much alcohol

Treatments

As there are both psychological and physiological symptoms of PTSD, there are treatment options are available for both.

• Psychotherapy
  This is a talking therapy that requires the patient to focus on the traumatic event so that they can put the event in to words. The aim is for the patient to remember the event without experiencing any feelings of fear or distress.
  This treatment is delivered in weekly, 60-90 minute sessions for 8-12 weeks.

• CBT
  CBT is a treatment, which aims to help the patient understand their ‘habits of thinking’. They will be challenged to change these ways of thinking, which in turn will lead to a change in behaviour.

• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  EMDR requires patients to use certain eye movements in order to aid the processing of flashbacks and help the patient to make sense of the trauma. It aims to get the patient to process upsetting memories, thoughts, and feelings related to the trauma. By processing these experiences, patients can get relief from PTSD symptoms.

• Medication
  Antidepressants may be prescribed to alleviate the depressive symptoms seen in PTSD.

• Body focused therapies
  A range of physiological therapies e.g. physiotherapy, osteopathy, relexology, yoga and meditation used to provide the patient with ways of relaxing and managing stress.

rTMS

rTMS is a new, noninvasive technique that alters brain activity through repeated changes of the coil’s magnetic field. This modulation effect can reach both the cortex and subcortical areas, and depending on the frequency, rTMS can either decrease (low-frequency) or increase (high-frequency) cortical excitability.

rTMS has been included in the NICE guidelines as a safe and effective treatment for depression since 2015. Due to it’s good results, it is now also being offered as a treatment method for PTSD. Research has supported its use as a safe and effective treatment for PTSD and meta analysis has since corroborated this research.