[Health Column] Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Symptoms and Treatment Methods

Director Choi Woo-hyuk

 

 

Hello, this is Director Choi Woo-hyuk.

 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that occurs after an individual experiences or witnesses a life-threatening event or severe injury. These traumatic events can include war, natural disasters, serious accidents, violence, and sexual assault, among others, and PTSD is defined as a psychological response that appears following such incidents.

 

 

 

Main symptoms of PTSD

 

The symptoms of PTSD are broadly classified into four categories:

- Reexperiencing Trauma: The phenomenon of repeatedly recalling the traumatic event or having nightmares about it. This can also manifest as flashbacks, causing the individual to relive the emotions and physical responses experienced at the time.

- Avoidance symptoms: behaviors aimed at deliberately avoiding thoughts, feelings, places, or people related to trauma. This can lead to a decrease in daily activities and social isolation.

- Negative cognition and emotional changes: Negative beliefs about oneself or others, persistent fears, anger, guilt, and other emotional changes appear. This can lead to decreased interest, emotional blunting, and forgetting traumatic experiences.

- Hyperarousal symptoms: Hyperarousal leads to heightened anxiety, resulting in hypersensitivity, sleep disturbances, decreased concentration, and excessive vigilance. This can manifest as easily startling or irritability.

 

Some PTSD patients may experience dissociative symptoms after traumatic events. Dissociative symptoms refer to phenomena where individuals experience amnesia or temporary separation or disconnection of consciousness, identity, or emotions. In particular, those with a history of childhood abuse, neglect, or psychological trauma are more likely to exhibit dissociative symptoms. This is because stress caused by trauma can impair the ability to integrate consciousness and memory.

 

 

PTSD treatment methods

 

Treatment for PTSD mainly involves psychotherapy and medication.

 

- Psychotherapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and others are known to be effective. These treatments help reconstruct negative cognitions and emotions related to traumatic events and reduce avoidance behaviors.

 

- Pharmacotherapy: Medications effective for various PTSD symptoms, including antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are used. These medications can include those for re-experiencing, hyperarousal, anxiety, and depression. Pharmacotherapy can be used in conjunction with psychotherapy to help alleviate symptoms.

 

 

PTSD brain injury

 

 

PTSD is a mental health issue that appears after experiencing a severe traumatic event and can cause brain damage. Studies show that the hippocampus in PTSD patients shrinks, which can affect memory and learning abilities, and hyperactivation of the amygdala can lead to excessive fear responses. Additionally, decreased function of the prefrontal cortex can impair emotional regulation and decision-making abilities. These brain changes are closely related to the severity of PTSD symptoms.

 

 

PTSD diagnostic criteria

The diagnosis of PTSD is made by mental health professionals, and the main diagnostic criteria are as follows:

Experience of traumatic incidents: actual or threatening death, serious injuries, sexual violence, or witnessing such events.

- Re-experiencing symptoms: recurrent recollections of traumatic events, nightmares, flashbacks, etc.

- Avoidance symptoms: behaviors aimed at avoiding trauma-related thoughts, feelings, places, and people.

- Negative changes in cognition and emotion: negative beliefs about oneself or others, persistent negative feelings, decreased interest, etc.

- Hyperarousal symptoms: hypersensitivity, sleep disturbances, decreased concentration, excessive vigilance, etc.

 

If these symptoms persist for more than a month and significantly interfere with daily life, they can be diagnosed as PTSD.

 

 

Limitations of self-diagnosis and self-treatment of PTSD

PTSD involves complex symptoms, so self-diagnosis and self-treatment have limitations. For accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, evaluation and guidance by a psychiatrist specializing in mental health are essential. Therefore, if symptoms are suspected, it is important to visit a specialized medical institution for consultation.

 

 

The difference between PTSD and trauma

 

 

'Trauma' refers to the psychological wounds or shocking events experienced by an individual, which can be the cause of PTSD. On the other hand, PTSD is a specific mental health disorder that appears after such trauma, encompassing various symptoms mentioned earlier. Therefore, trauma refers to the event itself, while PTSD denotes the resulting condition.

 

 

Difference between PTSD and Panic Disorder

PTSD and panic disorder both fall under anxiety disorders, but they differ in their causes and symptoms. PTSD occurs after a traumatic event and is characterized by flashbacks, nightmares, and avoidance behaviors related to the event. In contrast, panic disorder is characterized by recurrent sudden panic attacks without a specific trigger. Therefore, different treatment approaches are applied to each disorder.

 

 

PTSD is a disorder that can seriously affect an individual's life, but recovery is possible through proper treatment. If you suspect symptoms or are experiencing difficulties, do not hesitate to seek professional help. With accurate diagnosis and treatment, you can return to a healthy daily life.

 

 

Director Choi Woo-hyuk

Graduated from Korea University College of Life Sciences
Graduated from Kyung Hee University College of Medicine
Kyung Hee University Hospital Resident
Full member of the Korean Society of Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine

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