Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

You might have probably heard (or clueless about it? That’s certainly okay—you are reading this to know what it is) of the acronym “PTSD" a lot of time — either on the internet or offline—to the extent that the acronym might have become redundant and less meaningful to you overtime.

However, as much as you’ve seen this, it is imperative that no one downplays real people experiencing (or have experienced) this as it is in itself, of very grave concern to the victims and close contacts of those who had.

With this introduction in mind, please painstakingly read through this post and pick out lessons that might be of help in the future. Thanks!

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury.

PTSD has been known by many names in the past, such as “shell shock” during the years of World War I and “combat fatigue” after World War II, but PTSD does not just happen to combat veterans. PTSD can occur in all people, of any ethnicity, nationality or culture, and at any age. Women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD.

People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or an accidental touch.

A diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to an upsetting traumatic event. However, the exposure could be indirect rather than first hand. For example, PTSD could occur in an individual learning about the violent death of a close family or friend. It can also occur as a result of repeated exposure to horrible details of trauma such as police officers exposed to details of child abuse cases.

Common Symptoms of PTSD
🔻Intrusive: People with PTSD often experience flashbacks and nightmares about their trauma. These intrusive thoughts can be triggered by situations or conversations that remind them of the event, and make them feel as if they are reliving it.
🔻Arousal: People with PTSD may feel a heightened state of tension or alarm, called "hyperarousal". This manifests itself in symptoms such as insomnia, an inability to concentrate, persistent fear, or being easily startled.
🔻Avoidance: People with PTSD may try to shut out their feelings about their trauma. They shun the people, places or situations that remind them of their ordeal. They may lose interest in activities that they used to enjoy. They might also feel depressed, guilty or worried. It’s common for them to feel emotionally numb and cut off from their friends and family.

Other symptoms of PTSD include:

vivid flashbacks (feeling like the trauma is happening right now); intrusive thoughts or images; nightmares; intense distress at real or symbolic reminders of the trauma; physical sensations such as pain, sweating, nausea or trembling.

PTSD IN THE WORKPLACE
People with this condition may show various symptoms at work. Here are some of the most common ones:

Memory problems, and difficulty retaining information.
Lack of concentration on tasks.
Fear and anxiety.
Physical difficulties.
Poor relationships with co-workers.
Unreasonable reactions to situations that trigger memories.
Absenteeism.
Trouble staying awake.
Panic attacks.

What Are the Stages of PTSD?
• Impact or “Emergency” Stage. This phase occurs immediately after the traumatic event.
• Denial Stage. Not everybody experiences denial when dealing with PTSD recovery. Individuals who do will continue to experience strong feelings brought on by memories of the traumatic event, but they will attempt, either consciously or unconsciously, to avoid the difficult emotions.
• Short-term Recovery Stage. During this phase, immediate solutions to problems are addressed.
• Long-term Recovery Stage. As the name implies, the individual will continue to deal with the after-effects aof their trauma, such as anxiety and nightmares. However, with treatment, these negative symptoms can be reduced and eventually completely overcome.

Now, symptoms of PTSD can interfere with the individual's ability to work in numerous ways. These include memory problems, lack of concentration, poor relationships with coworkers, trouble staying awake, fear, anxiety, panic attacks, emotional outbursts while at work, flashbacks, and absenteeism.

PTSD may first come to the attention of employers because of decreased productivity, a drop in performance, and/or more frequent work absences. People with PTSD experience distressing memories and dreams about the trauma event, and extreme distress with things that remind them of the trauma.

Strategies for Managing a Team Member With PTSD
🔷Maintain a Dialogue.
It's important to keep lines of communication open. People with PTSD may feel embarrassed to ask for help, so take the initiative and ask them how you and other team members can support them. Use empathic listening and pay close attention to what they say.
🔷Meet Their Needs.
Start by simply asking what changes you could make that would improve their work environment. Furthermore, offer them a quiet part of the office with few, if any, distractions. If their role includes a lot of meetings, have someone take notes and share minutes afterwards, or record the meeting so they can revisit it later. In all, try to cut them some slack in the workplace during their healing process.
🔷Deal With Problems Promptly.
It's important to deal with issues as soon as they arise. If people are not performing well, or are having a hard time at work, speak to them directly, and ask them what you can do to help. At the same time, firm but constructive feedback will enable them to understand what they must do to complete their tasks successfully.
🔷 Provide Training for the Team.
Raising awareness of PTSD and its symptoms within your team is likely to inspire members to find new ways to work with anyone who has the condition. They may be more patient and sensitive to colleagues' needs if they have a better understanding of what they might be going through. To avoid singling out people with PTSD, you might want to offer this training as part of a more comprehensive human resources program to all your staff.

Did you gain one or two things in this health discussion today? If you do, please be on the lookout today for someone in your workplace, home or school and offer the advices you got from here or better still, recommend or book a therapist to such.

Writer’s Credit: John Oluwadunsin

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