Psychotherapy leads in treating post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common, often debilitating mental health condition that occurs in some people who have experienced trauma. It can have a negative impact on mood, mimicking depression, and is characterized by petrifying episodes in which affected people re-experience trauma. New research suggests psychotherapy may provide a long-lasting reduction of distressing symptoms. Over the course of a lifetime, many people directly experience or witness trauma, such as sexual assault, violence, or natural disasters. Experts estimate that 10% to 20% of these people will experience acute (short-term) PTSD. Some will go on to develop chronic (long-term) symptoms. Overall, about 8% of all people will develop PTSD during their lifetime, highlighting the need for effective treatments. What happens when people have PTSD? Because PTSD spans several categories of symptoms, it can be incapacitating. People are diagnosed with PTSD if they have certain symptoms following a traumatic experience that last for at least a month: one or more symptom of re-experiencing the trauma (sometimes called a flashback) one or more avoidance symptoms, such as avoiding places or objects that remind you of the original event two or more symptoms of arousal and reactivity, such as jumpiness, heart pounding, or sweating two or more symptoms of an effect on mood or cognition, such as negative thoughts or problems recalling key portions of the event. When a person has PTSD, the brain can bec...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Anxiety and Depression Mental Health Source Type: blogs