PTSD can happen at the end of life

Sheila’s jaw is clenched. Sweat is beading on her forehead. I make a slow audible inhale, non-verbally inviting her to do the same. We’ve been talking about the nightmares which started shortly after she began receiving help with personal care. I remind her that she is safe — the day she was raped is decades in the past. Her conscious mind knows this, of course, but for people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) the brain, body and nervous system remain on high alert, responding to trauma reminders and traumatic memories as though the event were occurring in the present. Though she never sought professional help, Sheila had found ways to cope with the fear, vulnerability and distrust left in the wake of the assault but had often felt disconnected from others and had struggled with persistent anxiety. Now that she was terminally ill, long-standing protective routines had been shattered, privacy undermined and intrusive memories of the night she was attacked had become frequent and intensely distressing. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Conditions Emergency Medicine Palliative Care Source Type: blogs