Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder after confinement

During this crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, not all the problems that arise are medical or economic. The propitious context for the emergence of psychological disorders has also been generated, since there is a combination of negative factors: anxiety and stress due to uncertainty about what will happen, fear of contagion, risk of loss of loved ones, limitation of freedoms, etc.

One of those psychological problems that many people can be exposed to these days It is post-traumatic stress, a very harmful alteration that makes it necessary to go to therapy as soon as possible. In this article we will see what is post-traumatic stress treatment, and what are the characteristics of this trauma-related psychopathological phenomenon.

• Related article: "What is trauma and how does it influence our lives?"

What is PTSD?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, sometimes known simply as "post-traumatic stress" is a psychological disorder that appears in some people who go through traumatic situations, as the name suggests.

Here it should be noted that there are no events that are traumatic in themselves, since the same event can be traumatic for one person and not for another. Thus, trauma is defined by whether or not it leaves consequences on the person, and it is always relative: it is part of the individual, not of the experience that this psychological phenomenon generates.

And what are the situations that are most likely to cause post-traumatic stress in people? It is usually about catastrophic or violent events and that happen more or less quickly: car accidents, sexual abuse, a beating, falling from a high place, etc. It can also appear as a result of the sudden death of a loved one, something that is unfortunately more common during the weeks of the coronavirus crisis.

In all these situations, there is a rapid rise in the amounts of hormones and neurotransmitters linked to stress, leaving a "mark" on the nervous system. The expression of that emotional mark is the basis of the trauma, and it can manifest itself frequently over the years, or even decades, if left untreated.

• You may be interested: "Types of stress and their triggers"

Symptoms

Among the symptoms that are most representative to understand post-traumatic stress, are the following.

• Tendency to "relive" the moment of trauma through flashbacks
• Sleeping problems
• Nightmares
• Irritability
• Feeling of guilt (for what happened in the past)
• Fear of flashbacks ", avoiding the places that could trigger them

Treatment of post-traumatic stress at the end of confinement

Post-traumatic stress disorder can produce very intimidating and emotionally painful symptoms, especially in the case of flashbacks, which are experienced in a very vivid way, as if what produced the trauma was happening in the here and now. However, Fortunately, it is possible to treat this psychopathology from psychotherapy.

Also, contrary to what many people think, it is a relatively short process, lasting a few months. Of course, it requires commitment to attending appointments with the psychologist or psychologist, and consistency in the way of applying the exercises proposed in these sessions on a day-to-day basis.

The main tools and methods that are used in the treatment to overcome post-traumatic stress are as follows.

1. Systematic desensitization

This is one of the most useful strategies to stop the person from experiencing such stressful flashbacks. Consists in "train" the patient in her ability to experience those flashbacks of memory without trying to block or avoid them, and performing actions that promote a state of relaxation. In this way, the association between those memories and their anxious emotional charge is broken.

2. Cognitive restructuring

Although the person with PTSD may not notice it, his problem is probably reinforced, in part, by beliefs that he has internalized and that prevent him from overcoming the disorder. Cognitive restructuring serves to shed these maladaptive beliefs.

3. Training in detecting troublesome thoughts

In a complementary way to cognitive restructuring, psychologists favor get used to detecting troublesome thoughts related to the disorder and be able to neutralize its influence. For example, the "anything makes me cry", "no one can love me", and so on.

Looking for psychotherapy?

On Psychologists Majadahonda We make our face-to-face or online psychotherapy services available to anyone with post-traumatic stress. We have a team of psychologists with many years of experience treating problems such as PTSD and disorders related to anxiety in general, basing our work on the efficacy methods proven. To know more about our psychology center or see their contact information, go to this page.

Bibliographic references:

• American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Atwoli L., et. the. (April 2017). Posttraumatic stress disorder associated with unexpected death of a loved one: Cross-national findings from the world mental health surveys. Depression and Anxiety. 34 (4): pp. 315 - 326.
• Kapfhammer, H.P. (2008). Therapeutic possibilities after traumatic experiences. Psychiatria Danubina. 20 (4): 532 - 545.
• Markowitz, J.C.; Milrod, B.; Bleiberg, K., Marshall, R.D. (2009). Interpersonal factors in understanding and treating posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Practice. 15 (2): pp. 133 - 40.
• World Health Organization (1992). International Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Geneva, Switzerland.