Syrian Refugee Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress ( PTSD) Edmonton, Alberta

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur after a person has been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is scary and horrible that an individual sees or happens to them. During those incidents, a person’s or others’ lives have been or are perceived in danger. People may feel scared or have no control over the situation what is happening.

Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Not always person has to see or have a traumatic event happen to them to develop PTSD. Sometimes learning that a traumatic situation happened to their family or loved one can cause PTSD as well.

PTSD events may include:

• Physical abuse
• Psychological abuse.
• sexual abuse, verbal abuse
• Violence is like being assaulted or shot.
• In-person or  online Threats or harassment
• Life-challenging events like losing a loved one, divorce, losing a job
• Serious injuries, such as motor vehicle accident
• Life-threatening sicknesses such as cancer.
• Natural disasters include earthquakes, fires, tornados, and flood
• Military deployment to a war zone.
• Military sexual trauma.
• Intergenerational effects of trauma.
• Human rights violation (for refugees or people who are immigrants).
• Militant attacks.

After the incidents, people may think a lot about what incident, avoiding talking about it and thinking flashbacks or thoughts about themself.

What are the  PTSD symptoms?

After going through a traumatic event, a person  may:

• Feel upset by the situation that reminds them of what happened.
• Have vivid memories, flashbacks, or nightmares of the event. A person can feel like it is happening all over again to them.
• They avoid places or doing activities that remind them of the incident.
• Try to stop them from thinking and having feelings about what traumatic situation.
• Often feel bad about themself and their surrounding.
• They may feel numb or lose interest in activities they used to enjoy.
• Feel that they are in danger often.
• Feel depressed, anxious, or jittery.
• Have trouble sleeping.
• Have problems focusing on a task or with concentrating or with memory.
• Be irritable or angry outbursts often.
• Physical symptoms include high blood pressure, pain, nausea, or trouble breathing.

PTSD symptoms can change people’s behavior and how they live their life. They may pull away from others, work constantly, or use alcohol or drugs. The person may find it hard to be in relationships and have problems with their spouse and family. They may lose motivation and feel depressed. Some individuals with PTSD also have panic attacks or worry that something terrible is about to happen.

Children can have PTSD as well, and they may have the symptoms above, which depend on how old the children are. As children get older, their symptoms may change like those of adults.

Children with PTSD may:

• They become upset if their caregiver or parents are not with them.
• Have trouble sleeping, with toilet training, or going to the washroom.
• Act out the trauma through drawings,  play, or stories, especially kids in the first years of school, ages six years to 9 years.
• Complain of physical problems such as headache, pain, becoming more aggressive

or irritable, or developing anxiety that does not seem to be caused by the traumatic event.

• Use baby talk Wet the bed.
• Lose interest in daily activities they enjoyed before the exposure to PTSD events.

What can be done if someone has PTSD?

If someone has PTSD, getting an assessment and treatment is essential. Psychotherapy can work, and early treatment may help reduce symptoms of PTSD.

If some PTSD:

• They should consult their physician, get a psychotherapy referral, and talk to a therapist.
• If you are a veteran, contact Veterans Affairs Canada.

People with PTSD feel helpless whether they have been exposed directly or experienced it through others.

Strong negative emotions caused by the situation create changes in their brain that may turn into PTSD.

Many individuals who go through a traumatic event do not get PTSD. It is not clear why some people develop PTSD and others do not. How likely people are to get PTSD depends on many things. These include:

• How intense the trauma was, and how long the situation lasted.
• If someone lost their loved one or was injured.
• How close the person was to the incident.
• How strong their reaction was and how old they were when the event occurred.
• How much support and help they got after the event.
• If they had experienced traumatic situations prior experience with a traumatic situation.
• If they have a family history of mental health illness.

A history of mental illness, childhood trauma, or substance use disorder may also increase your risk of PTSD.

PTSD symptoms usually start after the traumatic event but may not happen for months or years, and PTSD also may come and go for a long time. About half of the people who develop PTSD get better at some point in time. However, other people who develop PTSD will always have some more prolonged symptoms.

If someone has symptoms of PTSD, counseling can help them cope with the PTSD  symptoms. The symptoms do not have to interfere with everyday activities, work, or relationships. It is never too late to get professional psychotherapy or other forms of support that can help to manage the symptoms of PTSD.

Reminders and anniversaries of the traumatic event can trigger the symptoms again.

How does Psycotherpy treat PTSD?

The best ways to treat PTSD are:

• Counselling and psychotherapy can help people to understand their triggers and thoughts and learn ways to cope with their emotions. This can help people feel more in control and get them back to the routine in their life. The cognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT) is effective in treating PTSD symptoms. Cognitive processing therapy (CBT) and prolonged exposure therapy   ( PET) are examples of psychotherapy used to treat PTSD.

People may need to try different types of treatment before finding the one that helps them best. A good connection with the therapist is as important as choosing a modality. A family doctor can help the person with a referral for therapy. These treatments may include other types of therapy, such as individual or group therapy as well. Psychotherapy can help people feel more in control of their emotions, have fewer symptoms, and enjoy life again.

Refugee counselling for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, nearby Edmonton

Our Therapists are providers of the Interim Federal Health Plan ( IFHP) for refugees seeking psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress. If a person with refugee status is experiencing nightmares, flashbacks, or other trauma symptoms. In that case,  they can consult at our office. They need to bring a physician’s referral in, and we will apply for counseling treatment approval for them with IFHP.