Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a term being thrown around quite a bit these days, particularly in the wake of devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in areas such as New Orleans, South Louisiana and Mississippi. Many people may be unfamiliar with the specifics of this clinical disorder, their exposure to it limited to made-for-TV movies’ choppy juxtaposition of jungle flashbacks and offbeat caricatures of Vietnam veterans, who, by the end of the film, are able to overcome their condition through the love and support of their family and friends. It would certainly be a relief if Posttraumatic Stress Disorder were so easily conquered. However, the disorder is much more complex and deep-seated than mainstream data implies.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious disorder, diagnosable by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the bible of mental health professionals. The DSM-IV outlines and qualifies hundreds of mental disorders, creating diagnostic criteria and treatment goals consistent across mental health professions. PTSD is listed in the DSM-IV under the broader category of Anxiety Disorders. The hallmark of PTSD is the development of specific symptoms following the experience of a traumatic event, such as the death of a loved one, witnessing or suffering a violent act, or enduring a severe natural disaster. Some of these symptoms include an inability to fall or stay asleep at night, recurrent memories of the trauma, psychological stress when faced with situations triggering memories of the trauma, panic attacks, feeling detached from family and friends, and even finding oneself unable to recall certain aspects of the trauma.

Upon reading through this list, many Katrina survivors likely recognized some or all of these symptoms in themselves, which is completely understandable, even probable. Hurricane Katrina completely overturned the lives of thousands of people, wreaking havoc, death, and destruction nearly everywhere she roamed. To identify Katrina as a “traumatic event” is an understatement. It is likely that countless victims of this disaster are currently diagnosable with PTSD, and simply never recognized their feelings and symptoms as cause to seek help. Such people direly need the community resources and education about PTSD and related mental health conditions that so frequently plague survivors of intensely tragic events like Katrina. There is no need for the citizens of New Orleans to suffer in silence with the pain of PTSD. If you or a loved one fits any of the criteria listed above, contact your doctor as soon as possible. He or she can provide you with further information, referrals to social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals who can offer relief in this time of potentially unbearable hardship.

Source: Bayou Buzz