Covid Awareness

PTSD in covid recovered patients

PTSD IN COVID-RECOVERED PATIENTS

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is a psychiatric disorder and can occur after witnessing or experiencing extreme traumatic events like natural disasters, accidents, terrorist acts, or any such occurrences, as affected by any traumatic events as mentioned above, a life-threatening pandemic is enough to leave the similar level of trauma. COVID-19 has affected humans in unimaginable ways but what are the after-effects of it after the decrease of life-risk percentage? We all know that the pandemic is still not over but there is evidence amount of a reduction in the infected people population. However, COVID-19 not only affects our physical health but it also affects our mental health, and one of the mental health issues after this pandemic is PTSD. During this pandemic, the huge amount of population has suffered a huge amount of loss whether its the life of someone they loved and known or they have lost in economical society. These categories are the reason that most around 55% of the world’s population are suffering from PTSD.

             There are known 5-stages of PTSD and the people who suffer from it will follow the same pattern. The very first stage is the impact of the trauma which leaves a lasting impression on your mind. At the starting of this first stage, people struggle the most to deal with traumatic events like the first wave of COVID-19, where people were unaware of the contagious virus. The second stage is the denial or numbing stage where people find it hard to accept reality. When the COVID pandemic started people were not well informed and most of them were ignoring the fact there is an existence of such a deadly virus. In this stage, people ignore the facts of the trauma to avoid the triggering emotions related to the event which is why they ignore it. The next stage is the rescue stage or repetitive stage. People who overcome the ignoring stage are finally able to accept the traumatic event. During the end of the first wave of COVID-19, everyone had faced a terrible truth and started to be more attentive and protective to acknowledge the ongoing pandemic situation and its repercussions. The fourth stage is the intermediate stage where the acceptance and healing begins. Lastly, the final stage is the recovery stage where the people will work through the healing process but it will be a long and stressful journey. The families who have lost their loved ones will be the population who are most affected and will go through all these stages as a process of overcoming the PTSD effects. Many research results show that the emergency frontline workers like doctors, nurses, first emergency response teams, patients, and their family and friends are the ones who have been in the largest numbers of people counted for PTSD. These people are exposed to the most horrible part of the COVID-19 pandemic and they have to work through it every day. Looking at people dying every day and putting their own lives in danger by accepting the death threat of coronavirus makes them vulnerable to the bearing of the suffering.

           Now, that we know how and who are suffering the most through this COVID-19 pandemic, let us have a look at what are the symptoms of PTSD to understand it better to recognize oneself or others if they are suffering. There are several visible symptoms of PTSD like major depression, anxiety, getting easily startled by a quick movement, getting lost in a zone, fear for no reason, irritated, and always on edge to burst out. Although these are the commonly found symptoms, you should be aware that PTSD is different for everyone, the duration varies in every person and every single person will have a different impact of PTSD on them. Once you are aware of the symptoms you can opt for the treatments as such as exposure therapy, group therapies, or going for counseling sessions. In exposure therapy, PTSD patients are treated by exposing them to their fears so that they can overcome them slowly and steadily. This process will take a lot of time as it’s a slow healing process but the results are 90% effective. Other than that, in group therapies people share the grief and loss they suffered in this pandemic and it will help them to realize that more people like them have suffered the same.

                 The conclusion is, if you are aware of any of the symptoms mentioned above, don’t hesitate to ask for help because it will benefit you.