One in seven South Africans will go through a traumatic event in their lifetime, putting them at a high risk of developing acute stress disorder, which, if untreated, can progress to a more severe, long-term mental illness.
Our culture has normalised sickness so much that we care so much about our physical health, which we should, but what about our mental hygiene? We need to start treating mental health like it’s supposed to be treated because if we don’t, we will continue being functioning broken shells of what we used to be.
John Milton once said: “The mind is its own place. It can make a heaven out of hell or hell out of heaven.”
We know thoughts are powerful and susceptible to many stressors. Dr Gagu Matsebula, SA Society of Psychiatrists spokesperson, believes that it is just as important to have a mental health check-up as a physical health check after a traumatic event.
Up to 20% of people who experience or witness traumatic events, like death, serious injury, or physical or sexual violence, are affected by acute stress disorder, and about half of those people will go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has a crippling effect on their ability to work and lead fulfilling lives.
Acute stress disorder has symptoms similar to PTSD but lasts for a shorter period of time, ranging from three days to a month.
It is common for people to experience a fresh wave of unpredictable emotions and physical symptoms in the days and weeks following such a trauma which include the following symptoms: hyper-vigilant, anger, irritability or difficulty sleeping.
“Different people experience and respond to trauma differently. Sometimes it is not the victim of the traumatic event who develops acute stress disorder – it could be someone who witnessed the event, or even the perpetrator,” he said.
Although, people with pre-existing mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, or a substance use disorder and those with a family history of mental illness are at higher risk of developing acute stress disorder after a traumatic event.
Acute stress disorder symptoms include:
- Iintrusive symptoms of recurring memories, flashbacks, and nightmares.
- Avoidance symptoms trying to avoid thinking about or remembering the event and avoiding people, places, or conversations that spark reminders of the event.
Flashbacks are invasive and involuntary because the memories keep surfacing despite your efforts to block them out. In the end, they induce distress because you find yourself reliving the traumatic experience, explained Matsebula.
How to deal with trauma?
Exercising is one way to go about dealing with traumatic events. It's a positive outlet for all your emotions.
Be patient with yourself. As you heal, take each day as it comes. Your symptoms should begin to gradually get better as the days go by.
Seek help. Join a support group, it's always advised not to self isolate after trauma, and talking over what you’re going through with others who’ve had the same experience can be helpful.
He goes on to say that people have this misconception that all they need to do is cope, as they have seen others do in the past.
“This is 'abnormal healing,' when the trauma is not processed and dealt with, and the person instead develops unhealthy coping methods, increasing their chance of developing more severe mental health disorders that are more challenging to treat.”
Dr Matsebula further emphasises how stress itself can be traumatic, resulting in the onset of physical conditions like diabetes and hypertension as well as mental diseases like depression and anxiety.
At the first sign of symptoms, you need to consult a healthcare professional at your disposal to treat and manage your condition. Treatment involves psychotherapy, with the addition of medication in more severe cases.
“It is vital to seek help after a traumatic event to avoid the development of complications, unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol or drug abuse, and longer-term mental illness,” he said.
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