Coping With PTSD in the Workplace
What Is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a severe single or prolonged threatening or horrifying event.
Causes of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Causal events include war and combat atrocities, terrorist acts, rape or sexual violence, or serious accidents and injuries.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in the Workplace
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can adversely affect a patient’s job, relationships, physical health, and everyday life.
A worker with PTSD may have physical health issues including cardiorespiratory, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal disorders that affect their work performance and lead to frequent absences.
Symptoms that can affect a worker’s performance at work include:
- Recurrent memories or reliving of the traumatic event even at work
- Distractions from trying to avoid thinking or talking about the event
- Memory problems
- Difficulty with close relationships
- Difficulty experiencing positive emotions
- Trouble concentrating at work
- Angry outbursts or aggressive behavior
Stress at work can amplify the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The condition often leads to depression and substance abuse that is usually hard to hide at work.
If an employee demonstrates any of the listed behavioral or health symptoms an empathetic employer should sit down with them and determine if counseling might be indicated.
What Therapies Does Sands Treatment Center Employ for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
PTSD is treated with medicine and psychotherapy. Studies show that trauma-focused psychotherapy is more effective than drug treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Sands Treatment Center employs a variety of PTSD treatments but finds that the efficacy of behavioral therapies surpasses available medicinal treatments.
As opposed to Freudian therapies, behavioral therapies were taken up by therapists in the 1960s to focus more on a patient’s current twisted or abnormal thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes.
Historical Freudian therapies focused on identifying unconscious meanings behind behaviors with the expectation that acknowledging and understanding those meanings would solve the problem.
Behavioral therapists address the problem directly. They seek to help the patient develop and practice strategies for dealing with distorted thinking.
Behavioral therapy is a form of mind control. It was originally used to treat depression which is often associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In the 1980s, it became popular for treating many mental health conditions including PTSD treatments, marital problems, eating disorders, and addiction.
Behavioral therapies mesh with 12-step programs, having their genesis with Alcoholics Anonymous founded in 1965. For that reason, behavioral therapies are often combined with a 12-step program for PTSD as well as alcoholism. Alcoholics anonymous teaches addicts to eliminate so-called “stink’n think’n” (i.e., mind control).
Efficacy of Behavioral Therapy
Numerous studies have shown the efficacy of behavioral therapy. Among them is a study manuscript published in July 2012 in PubMed Central (PMC).
The study, “The Efficacy of Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses” reviewed 269 meta-analytic studies of behavioral therapy. The analysis concluded that cognitive-behavioral therapy was more effective than other treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental health disorders.
Sands Treatment Center
We at Sands Treatment Center have many years of experience treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance addiction as well as other disorders. We use 12-step programs in combination with behavioral therapies. For a consultation, you can meet our experts today or call (844) 200-2509 for more.
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Will PTSD Become More Prevalent In Children After COVID-19?
Children are becoming more prone to developing serious mental health conditions following COVID, especially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The Childhood Trust has recently come out with a statement informing that disadvantaged children are especially vulnerable to mental health conditions after the pandemic. Some contributing factors include anxiety relating to the health of loved ones and detrimental effects from social isolation and hunger.
Therefore, children are in a position where they cannot access online therapy or make the healthcare appointments necessary to deal with the effects of PTSD.
The Sands Treatment Center offers treatment programs for PTSD in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Let’s explore the effect COVID-19 has had on children’s mental health.
Symptoms of PTSD
The Childhood Trust informed BBC News that many children are suffering from horrible nightmares relating to the effects of the pandemic, which is a common side effect of PTSD.
Children have been greatly affected by news of global death rates, which has led to them developing anxieties relating to the potential death of their parents and friends. With news about the increasing mortality rates being broadcasted around the world, children have internalized the sense of impending doom and have been displaying symptoms of PTSD.
A clinical psychologist from the University of Bath has made it clear that the effects of the pandemic are far-reaching and involve people developing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
Social isolation has made it difficult to interact with friends, and the lack of regular education has also played an important factor in feeling a sense of loss and deprivation. Separation from loved ones, absence of freedom to move around, and monotony are some of the key factors that can have drastic consequences on children’s mental health and well-being.
Those already predisposed to mental health conditions are unable to receive the help and support they need. The Childhood Trust states that 83% of children receiving mental health care have suffered from the detrimental effects of the coronavirus.
Effects of the Coronavirus Leading to PTSD
Social isolation due to coronavirus has become the new norm.
This has led to an increasing number of child abuse and sexual exploitation cases, which has led to the development of PTSD in many children.
COVID-19 has seen a 21% rise in alcohol sales during the lockdown period, and many children have been stuck at home with irresponsible parents drinking hazardously and causing problems at home. Children and young individuals have seen a decline in their mental health after dealing with and caring for family members suffering from alcohol dependency and substance abuse.
Due to the closure of schools, children are no longer exposed to trained professionals who can spot signs of abuse. As a result, there has been a surge in mental health conditions.
The crisis will affect the younger generation well into the future, meaning the effects of coronavirus are far-reaching and long-lasting. Medical professionals warn that these problems will not vanish easily, and their impact on children can be irreversible if the correct steps are not taken today.
Once you develop a serious illness, it is often impossible to overcome it entirely. Like with grief, you don’t get over someone’s passing but learn to live with it, which is why PTSD is especially deadly.
Children are struggling with learning efficient coping strategies, and there are no medical professionals to guide them through the process due to the strict rules of the pandemic.
What to do About PTSD in Children
Parents are encouraged to provide a nurturing environment at home and shield their children from any negative news, which can be toxic to fragile minds. There is a sense of impending doom projected throughout the world, and it is the parents’ responsibility to help their children learn to think positively and have an optimistic outlook.
Parents are also advised to allow their children to access online therapy to learn to develop coping strategies for any difficult symptoms of PTSD that have become prevalent. Children should also be encouraged to talk about their issues, and parents must listen, reassure, and engage in enjoyable activities.
Final Verdict
There is no definite conclusion that symptoms of PTSD will last for a long time or if children will begin to recover after COVID restrictions start to ease up.
Children must have regular routines to bring back a sense of normalcy during these difficult times.
For treatment for PTSD in Fort Lauderdale, Florida you can reach out to The Sands Treatment Center.
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Aging Veterans and PTSD
Memories of wartime are challenging to let go of. Many veterans from wartimes have gone on to live happy, fulfilling lives. However, we often see these aging veterans delve back into depression and uneasiness. Most of these veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and require PTSD treatment.
Sometimes veterans do not show any signs of PTSD till late in their lives. A sudden trigger could unplug their minds, and they might go back to all the sufferings of war.
What Triggers PTSD In Aging Veterans?
In aging veterans, PTSD can be triggered by anything. As people age, they lose more loved ones to death. So the death of a close friend or spouse could be a trigger that could make them think about wartime suffering.
People often drown their PTSD with the help of substances such as alcohol. If a person suddenly stops taking that substance, they could find their memories returning to wartime since the substance that held them together was no longer present.
News of war can also trigger PTSD in veterans. If there is news about war on the television or they come across a documentary that relays their experience, it might trigger their PTSD.
It is easy for PTSD to be triggered in aged people because they are more sensitive to situations.
Does PTSD Worsen With Age?
Yes, PTSD does worsen with age, which is why there are quite a few veterans who have had manageable symptoms of PTSD their entire lives, but after a specific age the symptoms become progressively worse and might require more medical intervention.
One of the reasons why PTSD increases as veterans age is that they retire. After retirement, people do not have as many distractions as they do while working. This is why they have more time to think, and thoughts about the past may creep upon them.
Another reason is ailing health. As people grow older, they get more illnesses, and their previous health conditions also aggravate. They realize that they are not as physically strong as before, and any thoughts of war could make them think they will not be able to serve anymore. These thoughts can be depressing for the veteran, who might start showing signs and symptoms of PTSD.
Symptoms Of PTSD
There are many symptoms of PTSD that vary depending on the degree of the condition. The most common symptoms include:
- Nightmares – People reliving their trauma from war may often have nightmares from those times, which can cause sleep disturbances. These people are also often seen with insomnia.
- Re-experiencing Symptoms – People with war trauma could be reliving events from that time and might behave as if they are still in war conditions. They might constantly talk about survival, enemies, or recall what to do in times of distress.
- Pessimism – War trauma can also cause people to think negatively constantly. This may also lead to depression at times.
- Avoiding Triggering Events – Many people with PTSD choose to avoid anything that could even remotely remind them of the events they have been through.
- Feeling on Edge – People with PTSD are also easily startled by situations. They scare easily and might get defensive as well
- Losing Interest – War veterans are also often seen to be losing interest in things that used to bring them joy and happiness. This may also cause them to fall into depression.
- Difficulty in Dealing with People – Veterans might feel isolated when they have PTSD. They might cut contact with friends and be challenging to deal with around family.
How Can Aging Veterans Fight PTSD?
There is always hope for anyone who has PTSD. War veterans who display symptoms many years after the war has ended should be enrolled in a PTSD treatment program. Pompano Beach has excellent programs for aging veterans where they can find support.
Other than that, aging veterans might also benefit from joining a support group. Having friends with similar experiences can help the veterans find solace. They can build a community around people they are comfortable with.
It is also important for people with PTSD to share their trauma with their loved ones. They can offer support and help them get through these trying times.
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