What is PTSD and how is it treated?

“It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”  “It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.”  Red Auerbach won’t light up a cigar and Dandy Don Meredith won’t croon about turning out the lights.  This “party” isn’t over and won’t be for some time.

All clever sports sayings and rituals aside, like fighting weeds or the battle of the bulge, the protracted campaign against terrorism will be a part of life for years to come.  The normal stress levels we face daily have jumped significantly.  A more acute form of stress is upon us.  And as parents, we’re now faced with a more clearly threatening world in which to raise children.

September 11th we were first numbed, struggling to comprehend the unthinkable.  That was the first stage of post-traumatic stress.  Unchecked, post-traumatic stress can often develop into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

PTSD can result from experiencing, witnessing or simply learning about “events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others.”  None of us is immune.

It is characterized by three symptom constellations: 

The event is chronically re-experienced by one of more of the following: intrusive thoughts or images; distressing dreams; feeling the event is recurring (flashbacks, etc.); distress and/or physiological reactivity at exposure to cues reminiscent of the event.  Children may engage in repetitive, event-related play or fantasy.  They may also have frightening dreams about the event or without recognizable content. 

Numbing and persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the event: avoiding thoughts, feelings or discussions of the event, activities or people that arouse recollections; detachment from others; a feeling of dread. 

Persistent increased arousal: difficulty sleeping; irritability or angry outbursts; problems concentrating; hypervigilance; an exaggerated startle response.

Three decades later many Vietnam veterans still struggle with PTSD because steps weren’t taken in the aftermath of the trauma to mitigate the long-term consequences.  We can learn from their unfortunate experience.  By taking action now and continually in the days to come, you can mitigate the insidious psychological aftereffects of September 11.

Though painfully ironic, remember the instructions about oxygen use aboard an airliner: In the event of emergency, put your own oxygen mask on first, then assist those who may need it.  Similarly, it’s important to first meet you own psychological needs.  Only then can you best and effectively serve your children’s needs.

What you can do now and in the future 

Continually watch for and attend to any of the above symptoms of PTSD in yourselves, each other and your children. 

Regulate your, and particularly your children’s, exposure to news reports and replays of the events.  While we naturally seek more information in an effort to grasp the unimaginable, too much is not good.  Less is better. 

Gently discuss what happened with other adults and your children.  Integrating what was previously unthinkable in the new reality is vital. 

As you’ve heard before, try to maintain your normal routine.  Preserve or re-institute your family traditions.  may get away into the mountains or plains for a day.  Yes, take that vacation. 

Be patient with yourselves and others.  Individual responses to events will vary.  There is no right or wrong way to react. 

Get plenty of sleep and make sure your children do.  If you know any stress reduction techniques (progressive relaxation, transcendental meditation, guided imagery), practice them repeatedly.  Eat properly, exercise regularly, limit alcohol and drugs. 

Continue to process, by talking about, what has happened with friends, colleagues and family members.  Don’t keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself. 

Recognize stress leads to anxiety, which leads to irritability and impatience, which negatively affect parenting. 

Keep checking in with your kids and each other.  Don’t assume all is fine.  Ask.  Then pay attention to what you see and hear.  Take further mitigating action, if necessary.

In crisis, there is opportunity.  As parents, we are both leaders and teachers of our children.  While they might not always listen to us, they are always watching us.  Take this opportunity to continue to shape them into the adults you’d like them to become.  Set the example.  Remember courage is acting with fear, not without it.

We know the goal of terrorism is terror.  A significant part of terror is helplessness.  Find things to do to counteract that.  Be helpful…to your children and others.  Each of us has a skill, talent or resource we can contribute to the greater good.  Volunteer it.  Don’t wait for the next event.  Do something now.

Finally, realize this is the beginning.  No one knows what’s going to happen.  Expect the unexpected.  Retraumatization may occur.  Prepare for it.  As we press forward, trying to live our lives and raise our children, managing our own stress and theirs will be a continual challenge.  Do it well.  It ain’t over….

About the Author

Dr. Marshall Colt is an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD in San Diego.

He can be reached at www.Advance-Counseling.com.

Yoga Calm For Children Part 1 – Kid’s Demonstration

A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook $14.71 Stress and pain are nearly unavoidable in our daily lives; they are part of the human condition. This stress can often leave us feeling irritable, tense, overwhelmed, and burned-out. The key to maintaining balance is responding to stress not with frustration and self-criticism, but with mindful, nonjudgmental awareness of our bodies and minds. Impossible? Actually, it’s easier than it seems.In jus…

Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 1 $15.78 Perhaps no other person has done more to bring mindfulness meditation into the contemporary landscape of America than Jon Kabat-Zinn. Th rough a number of research studies, and through Kabat-Zinn’s pioneering work at the University of Massachusetts Medical School where he is founder of its world-renowned Stress Reduction Clinic, mindfulness is finally being recognized as a highly effective tool fo…

The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness Skills to Help You Deal with Stress (Instant Help Solutions) $9.57 First, the bad news: your teenage years are some of the most stressful of your life. Up to 70 percent of teens say they’re stressed out, and with pressure about grades at school, parents who just don’t seem to get it, and friends who drive you crazy, it’s no wonder. Here’s the good news! If you learn a few strategies for getting stress under control now, you’ll have the skills you need to deal wit…