Many people
know someone who has experienced a shocking event. Some individuals may have even experienced a traumatic
event. Traumatic events can be life
altering and may even lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a mental health condition in which
some traumatic event leaves a severe psychological impact on a person to the
extent that it impairs their ability to function normally. The traumatic event is usually experienced
directly by the person involved such as a serious injury, death or the threat
of harm or death. It is also true that a
person doesn’t have to experience the traumatic event directly; at times just
witnessing a disturbing event is bothersome enough to have a long term effect. Sometimes an elderly person may not
experience symptoms until years after the fact.
It is important to recognize the symptoms and respond by helping your
loved one or friend obtain the proper treatment.
A common
reason the elderly may experience PTSD is witnessing the death of a loved one
or friend, even if the death is anticipated.
This can happen at any point in their life. Although emotional shock, fear, anxiety,
sadness and even anger may ease shortly after the painful event, the residual
effects are seen as PTSD and can persist for decades. The symptoms can be intermittent and can be
so severe that a person may be unable to function normally in that PTSD can
affect one’s occupation, interpersonal relationships and everyday tasks. The condition can persist through the senior years in some form or the other,
particularly in the elderly who served in armed forces and went to war earlier
in life. PTSD can arise with various
other traumatic events in life, including being a victim of crime, violent physical
assault, sexual assault or abuse, serious accidents, natural or man-made
disaster, diagnosis of a life threatening illness.
PTSD
symptoms usually begin within 3 months of the traumatic event, while some
symptoms may be delayed until much later in life. Symptoms commonly seen are repeatedly
experiencing the traumatic event as nightmares and flashbacks, avoidance of
trauma-associated circumstanced (phobic anxiety), and increased arousal
(generalized anxiety). Other associated
symptoms may include emotional numbing, avoiding activities which were
previously enjoyable, a sense of hopelessness, difficulty in concentrating, not
being able to maintain close relationships, irritability, anger, excessive
feeling of guilt or shame and self-destructive behavior such as alcoholism,
difficulty sleeping, easily feeling frightened or startled and hallucinations.
