Cancer as PTSD-trauma

Mental health professional should ask a patient to describe the signs and symptoms that he or she is experiencing. Common questions are: what they are, when they occur, how intense they are and how long they last? Sometimes they ask to describe the event that triggered symptoms. Diagnosing the condition requires that the symptoms be present longer than one month.
There are several other diagnostic criteria! The stressor criterion, according to the DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria (Breslau & Kessler 2001): is divided into two parts:

1. The first requires that "the person has experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others."
2. The second requires that "the person’s response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror."

Treatment of PSTD

Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and exposure therapy.
PTSD is treated by a variety of forms of psychotherapy and drug therapy. There is no definitive treatment, but some treatments appear to be quite promising, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and exposure therapy.

* Psychotherapy

Exposure therapy involves having the patient repeatedly relive the frightening experience under controlled conditions to help him or her work through the trauma. Studies have also shown that medications help ease associated symptoms of depression and anxiety and help with sleep. At present, cognitive-behavioral therapy appears to be somewhat more effective than drug therapy. It is about repeated exposure to sources of anxiety which should diminish patient’s fear so that he or she no longer need to avoid certain situations and thoughts.

* Medications

The most widely used drug treatments for PTSD are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as Prozac and Zoloft. These antidepressants act on the substance called serotonin, the neurotransmitter in brain that helps brain cells send and receive various messages. Drug therapy appears to be highly effective for some individuals and is helpful for many more. Tranquilizers such as clonazepam (Klonopin) and lorazepam (Ativan) may decrease feelings of anxiety.

* Stress management training

This approach also involves learning to manage your anxiety through relaxation. You work with the help of a therapist to develop skills to decrease your preoccupation with negative thoughts and the sense of being overwhelmed by the traumatic event.
Possible complications if left untreated
Several researches have been conducted on this subject and they all came to the same conclusions! Having post-traumatic stress disorder may place a person at a higher risk of:

• Depression
• Drug abuse
• Alcohol abuse
• Eating disorders
• Divorce