Читать книгу Jog On - Bella Mackie - Страница 15

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) provides definitions of mental-health problems. It explains that PTSD triggers include exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violation. The trauma, regardless of trigger, causes significant distress or impairment to a person’s social interactions, and their ability to work or function in other normal ways.

PTSD is most commonly understood to be seen in soldiers after combat – recorded throughout history during the American Civil War as ‘heart shock’, in the First World War as ‘shellshock’, and then in the Second World War as ‘combat fatigue’.[31] But it’s now known to affect those who have experienced sexual assault, violence and accidents, traumatic childbirth and disasters. Symptoms of PTSD include repeated thoughts of the assault or incident, nightmares, avoiding thoughts and situations related to the trigger; feeling unsafe, panic attacks, and difficulty sleeping and concentrating. According to NHS figures, PTSD is estimated to affect about one in every three people who have a traumatic experience, though it’s not known exactly why some people are affected and others aren’t.[32]

Sufferers don’t just experience the trigger clearly, they can also relive the experience through flashbacks, where a word, smell or noise might make a person think the trauma they endured is happening again. Understandably, those with PTSD will often go out of their way to avoid anything that might provoke a flashback – changing their routines or restricting their movements. They will be hyper-vigilant, watching for danger at every turn. This can provoke huge anxiety because of the constant mental pressure to be alert.

Further types of PTSD have since been defined, to better reflect the different experiences of it. They include:

Delayed-onset PTSD. If your symptoms emerge more than six months after experiencing trauma, this could be described as ‘delayed PTSD’ or ‘delayed-onset PTSD’.

Complex PTSD. This encompasses chronic and prolonged trauma or abuse. For example, if a person suffered from years of domestic violence, they might be said to have ‘complex PTSD’.

As with all mental-health problems, sufferers can live with the symptoms for years before diagnosis. Nicola was diagnosed with PTSD as an adult, having been sexually abused by her father as a young teenager. She only sank into a depression after leaving her job in the RAF and returning to civilian life. Even though she was offered counselling, Nicola found it hard to talk about what had happened to her, partly because a therapist wouldn’t ‘know what it is like to experience it’.

A fear of stigma is common in people who suffer with PTSD. For those who’ve been sexually abused like Nicola, victim-blaming attitudes and a fear of not being believed can prevent people from seeking help as early as possible. This is compounded by feelings of shame and guilt that many with PTSD experience.

I’ve been lucky not to experience this awful disorder in any real sense, though I am familiar with hyper-vigilance. After being stalked a few years ago, I was advised by the counselling service provided by Victim Support that I might experience some symptoms of PTSD. I didn’t think I was likely to, given that my troubles weren’t as serious as I thought those suffering from the disorder face, but I certainly did feel hyper-vigilant – looking for and sensing danger everywhere. I repeatedly checked under the bed, locked and unlocked doors, tested my alarm and felt on edge – prone to fright at every noise and movement. I was also just feeling highly anxious, with all my usual symptoms dialled up to eleven. As with all anxiety illnesses, it can therefore be hard to decipher which one you are experiencing. If PTSD seems like it might be something you’re suffering from, there are many resources available to you – starting with your own GP; but also including the mental health charity Mind, Combat Stress (for veterans’ mental health), the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and PTSD UK. Links are to be found at the back of the book.