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Australian Prescriber Vol. 22 No. 2 1999
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder was once dismissed as 'shell shock' or even 'lack of moral fibre'. It is now accepted as a psychiatric problem that can affect civilians as well as the military. The disorder occurs when someone feels greatly threatened by a traumatic experience e.g. a crash, an armed robbery or a natural disaster.
Post-traumatic stress disorder differs from the normal reaction to trauma. The trauma is relived again and again in dreams or flashbacks. The people affected feel numb, although they may be on edge all the time. They try to avoid anything that reminds them of the trauma. Sometimes they use anger as a defensive barrier, but this can put people off helping them.
Only a minority of people exposed to a traumatic event will get the disorder. Most people who have post-traumatic stress disorder will recover and some may not need treatment. When the disorder has caused great distress, interfering with the person's daily life, a specialist opinion is needed.
Treatment involves support and education. This includes help for victims who have turned to drug abuse or heavy drinking. Depression, which is very common with post-traumatic stress disorder, should be promptly treated e.g. with antidepressants. People are taught how to cope with stress and given the opportunity to talk about the trauma. There is no specific medicine for post-traumatic stress disorder.
