PTSD is a mental health state triggered by a terrifying event. Traditionally this has been war, extreme deprivation, or observing / experiencing a horrendous moment. We had wondered whether a period of deep intubation might cause the symptoms too. Psychology Today says more people have COVID post traumatic stress disorder than we might think.
Symptoms of COVID Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD generally surfaces a month after the triggering event, although this may also take years. The mental symptoms are many and varied, although Mayo Clinic groups them in four types of which the following are examples.
- Intrusive, distressing memories and nightmares flooding in.
- Denial, avoiding anything that causes recollections to surface.
- Mood swings, hopelessness, disinterest, detachment, guilt.
- Irritability, angry outbursts, aggressive behavior, defensiveness.
Psychology Today – see link below – notes COVID has contributed to a higher prevalence of PTSD cases lasting longer than a month. Therefore we need to be aware of the signs, and recognize them when it affects family or friends.
We learned from our research that 30% of people with severe COVID-19 in 2021 developed PTSD. Moreover, a similar number developed COVID post traumatic stress disorder after the earlier 2002 MERS, and 2012 SARS outbreaks.
Therefore We Need To Know Knowledge Is Power
We wrote this article after we made our research, because we realized knowledge is the key to understanding. We know that experiencing trauma personally, or witnessing it may trigger PTSD particularly if the trauma recurs.
However, we don’t all have the same disposition, or appreciation of an event that makes us respond that way. The subjective experience is the trigger, not how others might evaluate the event.
Whether we assess another person’s PTSD as real, is not the issue. Psychology Today affirms the need for early diagnosis and treatment. And there we must leave you to speak to your doctor. Because we are not medical specialists, nor entitled to tell you what to do next.
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