Health: PTSS – Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome

PTSS (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) – refers to symptoms and signs which develop following any catastrophe or disaster. It is a delayed and protracted response to a stressful event of shattering nature, being outside the range of everyday human experience and which would cause distress to almost everyone. Such events include natural disasters, terrorist attacks, major accidents like the, “gas tragedy” of India, leak from Chernobyl plant, air or train crashes, e.t.c. or human tragedies like genocides. Signs of PTSS often develop within a few weeks to months after the tragedy, i.e. after things settle down. The typical symptoms are nightmares, difficulty in sleeping, recurrent nightmares or unpleasant memories of the event, difficulty in concentration, e.t.c. Depression due to loss of loved ones in the tragedy and/ or financial losses add on to the tense situation. All relevant tests done exclude any physical disease in these people and then they are finally labeled as suffering from PTSS. A patient can be of any age and any socio-economic class. Some of these individuals resort to alcohol, drugs or other addictions to find a respite. Worse still a few may indulge in crime for supposed vengeance or as a diversion for the mental stress they undergo. Further complications develop in these sufferers because of the treatment they take, either by themselves or prescribed for relief in the symptoms. Pain killers when taken for long to reduce pain cause gastritis. Medicines like haloperidol or chlorpromazine, prescribed for depression and anxiety lead to apathy and stiffness of limbs and body parts as side effects. Diazepam when given regularly to treat insomnia tends to cause addiction and dependence, i.e. a person cannot sleep without it. Slowly the dose has to be increased. Moreover when under influence of diazepam, if a person is not able to sleep for some reason, he or she can develop severe hang over causing much headache and restlessness. In short drugs taken regularly tend to cause life more miserable, rather than helping the people who suffer from PTSS. The course of PTSS tends to be variable, depending on the mental make up and circumstances of the individual. Some strong willed individuals, after realizing the situation they have landed in, divert their emotions in to some kind of work or prayers and recover fully. Some recover partly but tend to suffer from symptoms intermittently say around D –date or on occasions, when they are reminded of their dear ones lost in the tragedy. While there are some weak willed persons who are lost hopelessly to the situation. These are the people needing maximum attention to help them come back as useful productive citizens of the society. PTSS can be diagnosed early. Vague symptoms like palpitations, chest pain, insomnia, e.t.c. in someone known to be exposed to such a situation, should raise the doubt of a post trauma stress. Tests done when negative for a knwn disease process confirm the diagnosis. Good counseling is the first and foremost need for these individuals which should be reinforced intermittently. Group counseling sessions are very beneficial. They help an individual to understand that he is not the only one to suffer due to the tragedy. There are many others like him or her or even worse affected. They should be made to understand that life is a precious gift from God and should not be wasted like this in suffering. What has happened cannot be undone but one should try to improve the future in the present time. Similarly group activities like prayers, community work, e.t.c., are advantageous as they bring the survivors close and help in better understanding of their own problems and those of others. Rehabilitation in the form of providing education, vocational training and change of job or place of living proves to be very useful for these persons. It reduces the over all impact of the tragedy on the individual. Medicines prescribed should be kept to minimum and that too whenever very necessary. It is a wish by all good people of the world that such tragedies should not happen. It is the duty of every concerned individual to help those who are survivors of some tragedy, to become as normal as possible and not suffer from PTSS. This can be achieved by having a good understanding with that person without being undue prying or sympathetic. Dr Rachna PandeE-mail – rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk Ruhengeri