My last article in the Orlando Medical News had to do with the emotional implications of the diagnosis of a chronic illness. This article will explore the physical implications of an emotionally traumatic experience.

 

A traumatic experience is an event that happens, that is perceived by the individual as being overwhelming, painful, scary, dangerous and shocking. While undergoing this experience, the person feels and believes that his life is at risk and that he might be killed.

 

 The presence of such an event can cause the person to either "flight" from or "fight" the situation. When he "flights," he leaves the situation, but carries with him the memories of the event. When he "fights," he stays to confront the situation, but he also accumulates memories of this event. When the memories of the event come back to haunt the person, and they also appear in the person's dreams, as nightmares, and the  person feels like the terrible event is happening all over again, the individual is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

 

PTSD is a normal emotional and psychological response to trauma. Some people are more likely to develop PTSD than others. Very young children or the elderly are more vulnerable. People who already suffer from anxiety or depression are more likely to develop PTSD after a trauma.

 

PTSD symptoms can cause both emotional and physical problems.

 

The intrusive symptoms of the disorder, such as recurrent memories, flashbacks, nightmares and insomnia can stir up the negative feelings experienced during the trauma and can contribute to the development of a sleep disorder. The arousal symptoms of the disorder such as hyper-vigilance, feeling jumpy, concentration problems, irritability and difficulty falling asleep, can interfere with the person's productivity and efficiency. Finally, the avoidance symptoms of the disorder, such as avoiding places that reminds the person of the event, avoiding thoughts or feelings associated with the event, feeling emotionally numb and feeling detached from other people, interferes with the person's social and interpersonal relationships and might contribute to the development of social anxiety.

 

The physical problems caused by the PTSD symptoms include but are not limited to pain, fatigue, respiratory problems, headaches, skin problems, appetite disturbance, heart palpitations, headaches, muscle cramps and gastrointestinal disorders.

 

People with PTSD experience physiological reactions because they are always on the alert to deal with danger; the person feels "on guard" even when the situation is safe. This constant state of stress makes the person use high amounts of adrenaline and might diminish the effectiveness of the immune system, making it easier for the person to catch illnesses or develop medical conditions that otherwise he would not get.  It is as if the body got "out of balance" and is in a chaotic state.

 

It is important that physicians treating these patients evaluate the need of the patient to receive counseling.

 

Some goals of the psychological treatment might include:

 

After a traumatic event, many survivors feel like their lives have changed forever.  However, with psychological help, the disruptive effects of PTSD can be alleviated. A trained counselor will help the person face the memories, feel the emotions and work thru them, so at the end of the treatment the trauma no longer controls the patient. The goal of treatment is for the patient to be able to remember the trauma to the extent that he can approach it in a more objective and less overwhelming way.