The concept of “stress” was first proposed by a Canadian researcher named Dr. Hans Selye. In his research and writings, Dr. Selye distinguish between the “stressor”, meaning the event or situation that is making us feel discomfort, and “stress”, which he described as our own response to what we are facing. In his own words, Selye defined Stress as “The nonspecific response of an organism to any demand made upon it.”
It was in his laboratory at the University of Montréal that we first became acutely aware of the detrimental effect of acute or chronic stress on long-term health and well-being. In elegant experiments, Selye and his colleagues showed that untreated stress can contribute to the development of problems such as heart disease, decreased immunity and infections, peptic ulcers, and number of other chronic conditions.
A counsellor at Park Bench worked in Dr. Selye’s laboratory for a time, giving us a special appreciation for the ground-breaking work that Dr. Selye did and insights he provided to the whole world regarding the concept of “healthy mind-healthy body.”
In recent decades, many of us have become aware of the syndrome we now call Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Early research in this field focused on military combatants and veterans who, in addition to physical injuries, were sometimes left with deep, personal psychological wounds which undermined their happiness and well-being and resulted in long-term psychological disability. Recently, the heightened risk of depression and suicidality amongst those in the military has been a matter of great concern.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is now defined as the complex psychological and physical after effects that may result when some individuals go through traumatic experiences. Traumatic experiences may include emotional, physical or sexual abuse, violence, severe or life-threatening illness, workplace bullying or harassment, relationship failure and divorce, career reversals or financial calamity, etc.
The signs and symptoms of PTSD can be highly variable and individual. We refer to “triggers,” situations, words, or experiences that remind us of the trauma, and trigger an emotional response. Some people experience “hyper-arousal” reacting to triggers as if the original trauma was occurring all over again, resulting in a sudden state of panic, and symptoms such as rapid heartrate, hyperventilation, agitation, sweating, and feeling like we are having a nervous breakdown. Other victims become almost “dead to the world” with an absence of emotional response, so called “flattening” being the key characteristic. An example would be a soldier who returns from the battlefield and is sullen, quiet and withdrawn, displaying no affection or typical emotions. Such individuals are at heightened risk of suicide.
Although each person is indeed an individual, certain trends are observed in victims of PTSD, including:
Intrusive memories
Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:
- Recurrent, unwanted, distressing memories of the traumatic event
- Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks)
- Upsetting dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event
- Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds you of the traumatic event
Avoidance
Symptoms of avoidance may include:
- Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event
- Avoiding places, activities or people that remind you of the traumatic event
Negative changes in thinking and mood
Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood may include:
- Negative thoughts about yourself, other people or the world
- Hopelessness about the future
- Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event
- Difficulty maintaining close relationships
- Feeling detached from family and friends
- Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Difficulty experiencing positive emotions
- Feeling emotionally numb
Changes in physical and emotional reactions
Symptoms of changes in physical and emotional reactions (also called arousal symptoms) may include:
- Being easily startled or frightened
- Always being on guard for danger
- Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast
- Trouble sleeping
- Trouble concentrating
- Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior
- Overwhelming guilt or shame
it is very important to realize that PTSD is not the same in each person. Most human beings experience some degree of stress as they go through their lives. The symptoms of PTSD may be part and parcel of their response to the stressful circumstances to a greater or lesser extent. In other words, we all experience stress, and most of us have had some level of PTSD as a result.
The care and treatment of people with more serious forms of PTSD is a complex but extremely important process. The goal is to restore individuals as much as possible to their previous level of functioning. The individual is offered emotional comfort and support as they work to regain their emotional stability and well-being. A patient attitude is always required. Recognizing that symptoms may take months or even years to subside is critical. Otherwise, the person struggling with PTSD symptoms will feel like they have failed if it takes them “too long to recover” or, alternatively, may sometimes feel as though they will never get better.
With time and appropriate support, many individuals do recover and go on to lead productive and meaningful lives, even when their trauma has occurred in a military conflict zone, an intensive care unit, a hostage taking or bank robbery, or other examples of terrible and frightening experiences.