Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder / PTSD
Fear is a normal reaction to a stressful event that allows certain defence mechanisms to be put in place. Once the danger has passed, the sensation disappears. When someone develops Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), fear, anxiety and memory of the trauma persist for a long period of time and interfere with everyday behaviour and numerous aspects of daily life (family, work, social...). PTSD is a chronic disorder that occurs following traumatic experiences of severe danger or imminent death, severe injury, rape, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, etc., and is the result of a person's own or a loved one's own experiences. The immediate reaction of people is often marked by intense fear and followed by incapacitation (prostration, depersonalisation, dissociation). The event is relived with flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts. Avoidance behaviours are also observed: for places, sounds (TV, Music), situations, avoidance of everything that can remind or trigger the "reliving" of the trauma, which can go as far as amnesia of the event. Other characteristics include difficulties in concentration, sleep, or a state of permanent attack alertness. Each patient’s response is different and not all people who have experienced or witnessed trauma develop PTSD. The main complications of PTSD are depressive disorders and addictions to alcohol, drugs or benzodiazepines. The best prevention for post-traumatic pathologies is the early management of people subjected to a potentially traumatic event, with mainly psychological support to verbalise the anxiety and evoke the event and emotions felt.