Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) may not be as observable as the wreckage following a highway traffic accident, the heaps of debris after a bomb explosion or the ruined buildings as a result of a natural disaster, yet survivors of such traumatic events struggle to come to terms with what they have witnessed. They may suffer emotional turmoil and anxiety for years. PTSD may occur immediately after the event or many months later. The sufferer will relive the event over and over in his/her mind by dreaming or having unwanted flashbacks

Over time s/he may become emotionally withdrawn, have a sense of despair and hopelessness. Daily activities may prove difficult to accomplish. Interests and hobbies no longer provide enjoyment. Concentration becomes difficult, sleep disorders develop, and the sufferer may be over sensitive and irritable. There is extreme anxiety about the future.

Sufferers can develop ‘Survivor Guilt’ feeling guilty about having survived when others died. This leads to depression and anxiety. Many physical symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, sweating, difficulty breathing, dry mouth, pins and needles sensation in parts of the body can be attributed to the disorder. On an emotional / mental level agitation, sadness and anger has been recounted by sufferers. Not everyone who has lived through a disaster will experience PTSD – it very much depends on one's psychological make-up, the intensity of the trauma experienced, and the amount of support a person has following the event.

The traditional, allopathic method of treating PTSD is with anti-anxiety medications, or sedatives. Support groups and certain counseling approaches have also proved beneficial. Many sufferers of PTSD turn to illicit drugs or alcohol as a way to alleviate their symptoms. This causes its own problems as all drugs, whether recreational, legal or illegal, have dangerous or addictive side-effects. It is more beneficial to revisit the traumatic event through counselling and other support therapies than suppressing the symptoms through medication or living in denial. The latter approache will only worsen the situation.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) Cases

Michael’s Story: “They’d Be Better Off Without Me.”

Michael was the driver in a car crash, killing his young son Ryan and seriously injuring two occupants of the other car. He still carries the grief of the event, but throws himself into his work where he feels valued. Only his wife Catherine is aware of the depression and guilt that has plagued him since the accident. What she doesn’t know, though, is that Michael thinks everyone would be better off without him and has thought  about taking his own life.

Note: Deep depression is a serious disorder. Should you suspect that a friend or family member is severely depressed, encourage them to seek the help and support of a trusted health professional as soon as possible.

A remedy that could help Michael is Aurum metallicum (Aur.). It is commonly used to treat the following symptoms:

Depression from grief, failure or shame. Deep depression. Joylessness. Suicidal depression – may think of jumping from a height, or driving into oncoming traffic. Often have strong religious convictions and desire for prayer or meditation. Imagine they have failed or neglected their duty. Thoughts of death are pleasant. Tendency to heart problems. Symptoms are worse at night, especially pains in the bones. Moaning or crying out in sleep.

Nancy: Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Nancy returned to Ireland having lost her home and beloved dog to an earthquake 6 years ago. She had always been an anxious person but the trauma of the disaster intensified this. She had difficulty sleeping and would walk aimlessly about the house thinking of what disaster the day would bring. She lived in fear of something happening to her family and of once again losing all she possessed. She also suffered with a burning pain in her stomach which woke her on many occasions. Her husband said she worried unnecessarily about her health, had become obsessed with cleaning the house and was overly critical of his attempts to help her in any way. Nancy explained how she just wanted everything to be ‘o.k’. Panic attacks intensified her distress. One on particular night her husband rushed her to hospital thinking she was having a heart attack or a stroke. Nancy experienced shortness of breath, pins and needles sensation in her hands and face, heart palpitations, felt faint and could not swallow. Since then, family and friends suggested she learn to relax, find a way to cope. Nancy felt like screaming at them all.

If only Nancy and her family had known about the homeopathic remedy Arsenicum Album ! It is a fantastic remedy for post-traumatic stress disorder when the following symptoms are present: Anxiety about what may happen to them or family members, is not easily reassured, Anxiety about health matters – real or imagined. Insecure, Fear of being alone. Restless, Fussy, irritable, fastidious. Symptoms worse between 12 midnight and 2am. Sleeplessness from anxiety. Chilliness. Physical complaints with burning pains – better for warmth.

After taking a single dose of , Arsenicum Album Nancys anxiety lessened. Follow-up doses resolved her symptoms further and Nancys became, carefree and happier than she had in many years.

Helens Story: Indifference and Apathy

Helen lived through an aggravated burglary. She had been watching TV with her husband and two children when two unknown men burst through the back door of the house waving firearms and screaming obscenities. Helens husband tried to stop them harming his family and in doing so he was knocked to the ground and had a gun pointed to his head. The terrified Helen pleaded with them not to harm her husband and immediately told them where their money and valuables were kept. When they left Helen collapsed in a heap on the floor. Six months later and in spite of victim support counselling Helen found it difficult to get  over the traumatic event. While initially traumatised and anxious, she became apathetic and indifferent, finding it almost impossible to get out of bed in the morning, dragging herself about and unable to do the most basic of chores. Many mornings she returned to her bed only rising when her children or husband were due home.  She loved her children dearly but found them emotionally exhausting becoming irritable and cranky with them. Her husband was concerned about his wife and the effect it was having on their marriage.

The impact of the burglary pushed Helen into what homoeopaths call a ‘Sepia state’.  The remedy Sepia (Sep.) can help when someone is:

Joyless and indifferent, even to loved ones. Drained of emotional and physical energy.  eventually everything becomes too much of an effort. Dread of being alone but also dislike of company. Cranky and irritable or silent and tearful. Dislikes being comforted. Craves chocolate and sour things such as lemons or vinegar. Feels energised by thunderstorms. Menstrual periods often painful or heavy.

Some Disaster Remedies Listed hereunder:

1. Aconite napellus (Acon.)

For: Panic, fear and shock. Hyperventilation. Anaphylaxis. Measles.

1. Apis mellifica (Apis.)

For: Bites and stings with swelling. Anaphylaxis.

1. Arnica Montana (Arn.)

For: Bruising and damage to soft tissues. Fractures.

1. Arsenicum album (Ars.)

For: Anxiety states. Burning pains better for warmth. Food poisoning. Fractures. Pain that is worse for the slightest movement and better keeping still or firm pressure. Amoebic dysentery. Influenza. Malaria. Measles, Yellow fever.

1. Bryonia (Bry.)

For: Fractures. Pain that is worse for the slightest movement and better keeping still or firm pressure.

1. Carbo vegetabilis (Carb-v.)

For:  Near-death states with gasping and flatulence. The ‘corpse-reviver’.

1. Calendula (Calen.)

For:  Superficial wounds, grazes and lacerated skin. Infected wounds.

1. Cantharis (Canth.)

For:  2nd to 3rd degree burns, including sunburn. Wasp stings.

1. China officinalis (Chin.)

For: Exhaustion following  loss of body fluids such as blood, sweat and diarrhea. Malaria.

1. Euphrasia (Euphr.)

For:  Irritated streaming eyes and nose. Effects of tear gas.

1. Hepar sulphuris (Hep.)

For: Infected and sensitive wounds with splinter-like sticking pains and cheesy odour. Slow healing of wounds.

1. Hypericum perforatum (Hyper.)

For: injuries to nerves and nerve rich areas such as finger tips and the spine. Lacerations and puncture wounds.

1. Lachesis muta (Lach.)

For: Dark red or blue –purple infected tissues . Gangrene. Tarantula bites.

1. Ledum palustre (Led.):

For: Puncture wounds. Sprained and twisted joints. Bites and stings. Lyme disease.

1. Pyrogenium (Pyrog.)

For: Offensive wounds with foul smelling discharges. High fevers from infections. Restless exhaustion and offensive discharges. Prevention of infection following wounds or childbirth.

1. Ruta graveolens (Ruta.):

For tendon or periosteum injuries. Sprains and strains.

1. Silicea (Sil.):

Abscesses that drain but won’t heal. Embedded foreign bodies.

1. Staphysagria (Staph.)

For: Cuts and incisions. Violation and rape.

1. Symphytum officinale (Symph.)

For: Fractures.  Punctured or ruptured eyeball.

1. X-ray

For: Prevention of chromosomal damage from radiation exposure. Treatment of radiation burns and poisoning.