When
Does PTSD First Occur?
PTSD can develop at any age, including in childhood.
Symptoms typically begin within 3 months of a
traumatic event, although occasionally they do not
begin until years later. Once PTSD occurs, the
severity and duration of the illness varies. Some
people recover within 6 months, while others suffer
much longer.
What
Treatments Are Available for PTSD?
Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of
cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and
exposure therapy, in which the patient gradually and
repeatedly relives the frightening experience under
controlled conditions to help him or her work through
the trauma. Studies have also shown that medications
help ease associated symptoms of depression and
anxiety and help promote sleep. Scientists are
attempting to determine which treatments work best for
which type of trauma.
Some
studies show that giving people an opportunity to talk
about their experiences very soon after a catastrophic
event may reduce some of the symptoms of PTSD. A study
of 12,000 schoolchildren who lived through a hurricane
in Hawaii found that those who got counseling early on
were doing much better 2 years later than those who
did not.
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