Introduction
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that generally occurs in people who have been through or observed a very tragic event. PTSD has been acknowledged for quite a long while; even today, we keep on learning about its results for affected individuals and families on a daily basis. The following paper will discuss the history of PTSD, the contents of the symptoms and characteristics, as well as its impact on family structure. It also studies the possible outcomes and consequences on both the individual dealing with it and society as a whole.
History of PTSD
The history of PTSD can be traced back to ancient times when it was first detected, with records of combat-related psychological symptoms found in texts from different cultures. Nevertheless, it was only at the time of the First World War that its concept with contemporary notions started to form. At first, the condition was known as “combat neurosis” or “shell shock” and was poorly understood and stigmatized (Young, 2020). Families could not understand the changes in the mental health of their loved ones coming home from war, causing tensions in families and ineffective support. Its classification as a diagnosable mental health condition developed the first acceleration during the Vietnam War when the veterans encountered multiple troubles in their adaptation process. It manifested through flashbacks, dreams, and irritability, among others. The effect on families had of tremendous impact, as they were the ones who had to deal emotionally with people who were suffering from the issue. They had to confront social stigmatization and poor access to mental health services (Young, 2020). Gradually, research into PTSD went beyond the combat-associated trauma category and included a wide variety of traumatic events, ranging from natural disasters and accidents to interpersonal violence. The extended understanding has cast light on the high-frequency rate of the condition in the general population and its impact on families on both narrow and broad scopes.
The families affected continue to face numerous challenges. The ongoing nature of the symptoms easily affects the strength of a family unit, which may, in turn, bring feelings of loneliness, conflict, anxiety, and guilt (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2007). Close relatives often face similar conditions and have their own needs what is more. Additionally, cross-generational transmission of trauma can take root as children born into households where one of the parents develops the disorder become more susceptible to living in an environment where they experience high levels of stress and mental health conditions. However, this is a sobering reminder that even in the world with advances in its treatment, family-oriented strategies have gained increasing importance. Work is being done to try and improve communication, strengthen resilience, and help individuals with the condition as well as their family members. These methods are useful in increasing the level of functioning in families and lowering the burden of the condition affecting them.
Symptoms and Characteristics
After a traumatic event, the disorder may arise with different symptoms and traits. From the psychological perspective, the trauma inflicted can be seen by the way it affects people emotionally and psychologically. Intrusion symptoms, including flashbacks, nightmares and haunting memories, are of considerable importance during the research into the long-term effects of traumatic experiences (Fukase et al., 2023). These disruptive thoughts could be argued as being a way of the mind trying to integrate the trauma into the person’s previous customary thinking frameworks. When a person deals with a tragic situation, the brain may fail to store and process such information correctly because it cannot cope with the shocking nature of the whole turn of events. From this result, bits of the trauma start creeping into conscious thinking unwittingly. Thus, flashbacks come back, and the individual feels like they are in such an event once more. These flashbacks may cause distress and can make it hard to get on with everyday activities. Consequently, emotional freedom and life quality may be really impacted.
The continuing nature of the flashbacks is a sign of a broader conflict in the person that accompanies the trauma to assimilate the negative experience. The mind may continue revisiting trauma in an attempt to process and integrate the event into their notion of themselves and the environment. This seeking process may prove to be challenging and emotionally exhausting as the person tries to come to terms with all the emotions and memories of the deed. Tendencies to re-experience trauma through intrusive feelings such as irritation, panic, and distress also evoke overly high anxiety and fear, which, in turn, enhance the already having impact on their psychological health. It usually provokes the feeling of hopelessness and disempowers the person cerebrally, leading to more disorders and stress.
Avoidance symptoms involve a defensive mechanism to deal with anxiety, heightened levels of distress, and trauma memories. To protect themselves from the emotional pain and sorrow that reoccur when exposed to reminders and sources of trauma, people strive to avoid triggers, thus making the trauma remain unquenched. Subjectively, avoidance becomes a reflex mechanism, a way of the human psyche to get a grip, an attempt to feel safety and control of the spirit when the flashback and disturbing ideas around the traumatic event are present (Al Jowf et al., 2023). At first, the avoidance of triggers might relieve the patient; however, this behaviour maintains the cycle of avoidance and prolongs the symptoms. The symptoms observed among the individuals are negative alterations in the cognitive and mood domains, where there is distortion of events, self-blame and persistent negative emotions (Fukase et al., 2023). The cognitive and emotional alterations are frequently based on the disruptions of the core beliefs or schemas that emerge as a result of traumatic events. People can be prone to distorted thinking through trauma, going in a turn of unwanted experiences and severe emotional disturbances. The given concept implies that negative changes in thinking and mood can become a perpetuating factor in relation to the symptoms since people try to organize their experience and struggle with the complex emotions which are associated with the trauma.
Outcomes and Consequences of PTSD
Individuals whose diagnosis is PTSD usually have to overcome many daily problems belonging to different areas of life, which leads to a low quality of living throughout their existence. Its experience is concerning for victims of severe psychological trauma because of their inability to perform well in daily activities. Such individuals can often get interrupted by triggers like flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance (Fernandez-Canani et al., 2022). These signs can be a cause of disruption in their capabilities of good memory, sleep, and activity. The effect of these transcriptions is disrupting not less than academic performance, social interactions, and self-care with others. In addition to this, veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder are at a higher risk of these people developing co-morbid mental health issues such as depression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse. Family dysfunction has been found to cause an increased incidence of PTSD. It results in the diagnosis of a variety of mental health disorders, which point out factors of the family dynamics influencing the course of mental problems’ development. Managing the co-occurring conditions may be very difficult for adolescents, thus contributing to complications for their mental health and well-being.
PTSD also can play a role in their inability of regular interactions on the family level and with the outside world. Emotional behaviours like numbing, avoiding social situations, and becoming irritable may end up ruining relationships because there may be conflicts in communication. Its ability to convey their requests, feel safe in the company of others and develop lasting relationships, which are hard and may reflect on their social support network and emotional well-being. One of the approaches that can most effectively be used for adolescents is support and treatment of dysfunction within families. The way family dynamics figure greatly in psychological well-being and, consequently, the level of a dysfunctional family influences the level to which the symptoms are subject to worsening. Interventions that are based on creating a supportive family atmosphere, improving communication skills, and presenting the tools of resilience can be very helpful in overcoming the condition, thus improving mental wellness.
Conclusion
The History of PTSD can be traced back to the ancient times when the symptoms of war-related psychological traumas were first observed. These are the roots of the more comprehensive diagnoses we have now, including non-combat types of traumatic experiences. Throughout history, it has influenced people and families through intrusive memories mentioning the war, avoidance behaviours, and negative changes connected with cognition and mood. Its symptoms might become acerbated due to negative behaviour from their families, and therefore, their recovery is not proceeding. Nonetheless, a shift towards family-centred approaches to treatment, purposefully focusing on supplemental communication, resilience, and comfort, becomes more appreciated. With the knowledge about the intricate relationship between PTSD’s psychological foundation, family dynamics, and mental health, the emphasis will be on providing an intervention that is tailor-made to tackle the complex triad of trauma, family relations, and mental health, hence making the strength and recovery become a reality for the individual affected by this condition.
References
Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2007). Human development: A life-span view.
Al Jowf, G. I., Ahmed, Z. T., Reijnders, R. A., de Nijs, L., & Eijssen, L. M. (2023). To predict, prevent, and manage post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A review of pathophysiology, treatment, and biomarkers. International journal of molecular sciences, 24(6), 5238.
Fernandez-Canani, M. A., Burga-Cachay, S. C., & Valladares-Garrido, M. J. (2022). Association between family dysfunction and post-traumatic stress disorder in school students during the second COVID-19 epidemic wave in Peru. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 9343.
Fukase, Y., Ichikura, K., & Tagaya, H. (2023). Symptoms and risk factors of depression and PTSD in the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal survey conducted from 2020 to 2022 in Japan. BMC psychiatry, 23(1), 180.
Young, A. (2020). Allan V. Horwitz, PTSD, A Short History.
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