PTSD in the Elderly

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.

If you recognize PTSD symptoms in a loved one or friend, encourage them to call their family physician or Shiawassee County Community Mental Health at 989.723.6791 for an evaluation.  Additionally, it may be helpful to offer transportation and/or to accompany them to the appointment.  Although early intervention is preferable, PTSD is treatable at any stage of the diagnosis.