Adanma is terrified of loud noises, she saw her fiance get shot and has not gotten over the trauma. Peter reported extensively on the insurgency in the North East and he has suffered nightmares since then. Dr Roseline worked in the COVID19 ward at the height of the pandemic, she saw many of her patients die from the virus, she struggles with significant mood swings and has considered suicide. Adanma, Peter and Roseline are part of the eight of ten Nigerians suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). As of mid 2020, 81.3% of Nigerians have PTSD.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder resulting from witnessing a traumatic event. This disorder is common in people after being victims of incidencts like natural disasters, a serious accident, a terrorist attack/war/combat, rape or a life-threatening experience.
PTSD, when present, manifests in different forms. Most of the top symptoms of PTSD in individuals are avoidance and numbing, re-experiencing, and hyperarousal. It is very common for sufferers to experience constant internal reminders of the event. This may present as a continuous nightmare or flashback, which leaves the victims emotionally shaken.
PTSD usually results in phobia, sufferers try to get their minds off the event by engaging in other activities and avoiding triggers such as places where the traumatic event occured, actions and similar conditions, to take their minds off the event and to avoid a repeat of the traumatic event.
In extreme cases, PTSD can lead to suicide if not properly managed and checked.
Rachel Affiong Umoh, founder/CEO of The Wonders In Me (TWIM), Psychotherapist and Disability Rights Advocate, explains that there is no specific “cure”. People can live perfectly happy lives with the disorder as long as they take the steps to accept their past and move forward with their future. These steps include certain treatments that lead to improved symptoms, restore self-esteem, and teach individuals with the disorder the proper skills to cope with it. However, adapting these skills won’t make the disorder go away.
She pointed out that the many ways to help relieve PTSD symptoms and the effects are centred on specific psycho-analytic treatment such as psycho-analytic counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance commitment therapy, and administered anti depressant (medications) prescribed by a medical doctor. The therapeutic model used is different for every person facing this disorder, depending on the causes and symptoms, so the accuracy may vary.
Rachel Umoh concluded, saying, ‘sometimes, living with PTSD can be an everyday struggle. Some people who are burdened with the disorder feel like they can’t get their life back because they’re being pulled down by the past. Even though there isn’t a cut-and-dried cure for PTSD, you can get back to yourself again. It just takes proper treatment, practice, and the appropriate mindset’.
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