PTSD is a trauma and stressed-related disorder that develops after a person has been through one or more traumatic events like a natural disaster, rape, war, or accident. Contrary to what many might believe, PTSD is classified into different types despite it appearing as just one disorder. There are various types of PTSD, and they all have their characteristic signs and manifestations that it is crucial to understand to be able to provide the proper assistance.
PTSD may occur for many reasons, but elderly persons may experience different stimuli as compared to younger persons. Here’s a concise look at the causes
Veterans, especially the elder ones, may develop post-war combat-related PTSD as they grow older or perhaps when some of them lose their support as well as physical ability.
That is serious illnesses, which can be life-threatening, surgeries, or long-stay hospitalisation, can cause PTSD in elderly people due to the feeling of helplessness.
Elderly people often suffer from such necessities as the death of a partner or a friend, for example, a spouse. Grieving constantly can lead to PTSD, especially if the death is, for example, a violent one that was witnessed or heard.
Some elderly individuals might experience reactivation of early life traumas like abuse or neglect during the later stage in life when such events are triggered by stress, loneliness or any kind of deterioration in cognitive ability.
Physical, verbal or financial abuse is also reported as one of the leading causes of PTSD in elderly people, especially if they live in care homes or rely on the help of other individuals.
In the elderly, PTSD may sometimes be evidenced only by occasional anxiety or withdrawal or more physical complaints, which is why it cannot be disregarded in this particular population group.
PTSD – Acute is the type of post-traumatic stress disorder that manifests within three months of the trauma. This condition has various unpleasant emotions and symptoms, such as preoccupation with the event having nightmares, and flashbacks, among others. However, these features are usually experienced for less than three months but can significantly affect the degree of the individual’s functioning.
Acute PTSD is less disabling than other types of PTSD because symptoms tend to last for a shorter time and can be cured through treatment such as psychotherapy and counseling.
Chronic PTSD is post-traumatic stress syndrome that lasts for more than three months. It reliably appears after a chronic or severe stressor and can be fully manifest days, weeks, or even months after the stressor experience. The effects of chronic PTSD entail persistent grief sleep disorders, together with persistent changes in behaviour that make it difficult for an individual to sustain relationship problems or work.
More severe forms cause more severe trauma and, therefore, should be treated with long-term treatment that may require several years or even a lifetime because of the constant manifestation of symptoms; this may employ the use of drugs, group and individual CBT, and prolonged exposure therapy.
C-PTSD, known as complex PTSD, is usually diagnosed in those who were subjected to multiple or prolonged traumas such as child abuse, domestic abuse or being held captive.
Some employees have problems handling their emotions, which usually leads to the tendency to combust or meltdown on the job.
Since Complex PTSD occurs due to actual traumatic experiences, the treatment process is lengthy and extensive in most cases. Counseling is characterised as trust, gaining security, and emotional rewiring, especially after receiving severe psychological trauma.
Other type of PTSD is delayed-onset PTSD, which indicates that the symptoms may develop six months or even later from the time of occurrence of the traumatic event. This may be when the individual, after having undergone an experience.
This is because, while in the delayed onset of PTSD diagnosis, it is hard to explain how the trauma is linked to the beginning of the symptom. These patients may decide not to accept that they have this sickness and end up suffering from a lot of pain, but they won’t seek for any treatment.
PTSD co-morbidity means that the person has PTSD and some other clinical disorders such as depressive disorders, anxiety and substance use disorders. It is, therefore, essential to consider that these extra conditions can be worsened or caused by trauma, hence complicating the process of treatment.
Comorbid PTSD may be treated by psychotherapy, pharmacology, and support for the associated mental disorders. The manifestations will necessitate enhanced and integrated care plans only.
PTSD is complex and diversified since it varies according to the subject and occurrence, especially for the elderly. There was acute, chronic, complex, delayed onset, and comorbid PTSD and understanding the kind of PTSD in a particular person is a crucial aspect in the practice of treatment. Knowledge of such differences contributes to the approaches, perspectives, and strategies that healthcare practitioners, carers, and the patients with the condition require.
One can also develop post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD delayed type which results in several symptoms half a year or even several years after the traumatic incident. It can be brought on by a recurrence of the memories of the trauma or by a newer stressful event.
CPTSD prone to the continual interpersonal traumatization, which causes problems in emotional dysregulation, self-esteem, and interpersonal relationships, besides ordinary PTSD signs such as flashbacks.
The standard treatment includes cognitive-behavioral therapy, prolonged exposure therapy and pharmaceutic treatment: antidepressants for symptoms control. Very often one or several of these approaches are utilized depending on the nature and the degree of PTSD.