Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress After Confinement

Let's look at how pandemic-induced post-traumatic stress disorder can be treated.

During this crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, not all the problems that arise are medical or economic. It has also created a context conducive to the emergence of psychological disorders, since there is a combination of negative factors: anxiety and stress due to uncertainty about what will happen, fear of contagion, risk of losing loved ones, limitation of freedoms, etc.

One of these psychological problems to which many people may be exposed these days is post-traumatic stress, a very harmful disorder that makes it necessary to seek therapy as soon as possible. In this article we will see what the treatment of post-traumatic stress consists ofand what are the characteristics of this psychopathological phenomenon related to trauma.

What is PTSD?

The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, sometimes known simply as "post-traumatic stress" is a psychological disturbance that appears in some people who go through traumatic situations, as the name suggests..

Here it should be noted that there are no events that are traumatic in themselves, since the same event can be traumatic for one person and not for another. Thus, trauma is defined by whether or not it leaves sequelae in the person, and it is always relative: it is part of the individual, not of the experience that generates this psychological phenomenon.

And what are the situations that are most likely to produce post-traumatic stress in people? They are usually catastrophic events or events in which there is violence and which occur more or less rapidly: car accidents, sexual abuse, a beating, falling from a high place, etc. It can also occur following the sudden death of a loved one, which unfortunately is more frequent during the weeks of the coronavirus crisis.

In all these situations, there is a rapid rise in the amounts of hormones and neurotransmitters linked to stress, leaving a "mark" in the nervous system. The expression of that emotional mark is the basis of the trauma, and can manifest itself frequently over years, or even decades, if left untreated.

Symptoms

Among the symptoms that are most representative for understanding post-traumatic stress are the following.

• Tendency to "relive" the moment of trauma through flashbacks.
• Problems falling asleep
• Nightmares
• Irritability
• Feeling of guilt (for what happened in the past).
• Fear of flashbacks", avoidance of places that could trigger them.

Treatment of post-traumatic stress at the end of confinement

Post-traumatic stress can produce very intimidating and emotionally painful symptoms, especially in the case of flashbacks, which are experienced in a very vivid way, as if what produced the trauma were happening in the here and now. However, fortunately, it is possible to treat this, fortunately, it is possible to treat this psychopathology through psychotherapy..

Moreover, contrary to what many people think, it is a relatively brief process, lasting a few months. It does require commitment to attend appointments with the psychologist, and consistency in the way the exercises proposed in these sessions are applied on a daily basis.

The main tools and methods used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder are the following.

1. Systematic desensitization

This is one of the most useful strategies to stop the person from experiencing such stressful flashbacks. It consists of training" the patient in his or her capacity to experience these flashes of memory without trying to block or avoid them, and by carrying out actions that favor a more positive response.and performing actions that favor a state of relaxation. In this way, the association between these memories and their anxiogenic emotional charge is broken.

2. Cognitive restructuring

Although the person with post-traumatic stress may not notice it, his or her problem is probably reinforced, in part, by beliefs that he or she has internalized and that prevent him or her from overcoming the disorder. Cognitive restructuring serves to get rid of these maladaptive beliefs.

3. Training in detection of problematic thoughts

In addition to cognitive restructuring, psychologists encourage the person to become accustomed to detecting problematic thoughts linked to the disorder. the person gets used to detect problematic thoughts linked to the disorder and is able to neutralize their influence. and be able to neutralize their influence. For example, "anything makes me cry", "no one can love me", etc.

Looking for psychotherapy?

At Psychologists Majadahonda we put at the disposal of any person with post-traumatic stress our services of face-to-face or online psychotherapy. We have a team of psychologists with many years of experience treating problems such as PTSD and anxiety-related disorders in general, basing our work on methods of proven effectiveness. To learn more about our psychology center or see their contact details, access this page.

Bibliographical references:

• American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Atwoli L., et. el. (April 2017). Posttraumatic stress disorder associated with unexpected death of a loved one: Cross-national findings from the world mental health surveys. Depression and Anxiety. 34 (4): pp. 315 - 326.
• Kapfhammer, H.P. (2008). Therapeutic possibilities after traumatic experiences. Psychiatria Danubina. 20 (4): 532 - 545.
• Markowitz, J.C.; Milrod, B.; Bleiberg, K., Marshall, R.D. (2009). Interpersonal factors in understanding and treating posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Practice. 15(2): pp. 133 - 40.
• Organización Mundial de la Salud (1992). International Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Ginebra, Suiza.