Mental Health-PTSD

January 5th, 2016

When I was a psychology major at Ottawa University, I recall one teacher mentioning PTSD. It was not covered in depth nor was it described in detail. What stayed with me was the image of a WW1 or WW2 veteran who hears a shotgun and is transported through hallucinations to the battlefield. It scared me and I was grateful that I would never work with that clientele.

Fast forward to my work as an art therapist. I seem to attract clients who have survived trauma. That is because people who have experienced trauma, especially if they were children at the time, have no words to speak about their experience. Unless a therapist is trauma-informed, which I am, they may encourage the client to relive the trauma by describing it in detail, re-traumatizing them.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder doesn't just affect veterans. Anyone who is exposed to a traumatic incident, whether it happens to them or they witness it happening to someone they love, is at risk. This includes the military, victims and witnesses of domestic violence, people who survived natural disasters, individuals who have been in an accident, who were diagnosed with a terminal illness, lived in unsafe conditions, were mugged, raped or had their house vandalized, just to name a few. They usually perceive that their life or safety is in danger and feel powerless to influence the outcome of their situation.

People diagnosed with ptsd relive the traumatic experience through recurring thoughts, nightmares and flashbacks. They may avoid people or situations associated with their experience. This has an impact on their daily life, on their level of social involvement with family and friends as well as on their ability to work.

Another symptom is withdrawal or numbing. In order to protect themselves, they have become cut off from their body and emotions. This inability to feel connected to others causes conflict with family, friends and co-workers. If they pressure their loved one to participate in activities or confront them on their apathy, demanding a response or an explanation, chances are the only emotion that will result is anger. It is very common for alcohol or drugs to be used to further numb away the pain and, perhaps, avoid the nightmares that are depriving them of sleep.

A third symptom is hyper vigilance which means the person exists on a day-to-day basis in a state of emergency. This means they are anxious, startle easily, overreact to situations, feel the need to rush  and have a hard time relaxing. When they are overwhelmed, they have a tendency to lash out at their loved ones. They then feel terrible, withdraw, perhaps drink and sink into a depressive state. It is a vicious cycle.

I furthered my training three years ago to become a trauma-infirmed art therapist. I have since worked with people diagnosed with ptsd, supported spouses of individuals diagnosed with ptsd and have facilitated workshops to help couples and entire families communicate about this diagnosis.

This is what I see:

I will describe the man as having ptsd in this example because that is the majority of the cases I have worked with so far. A man and woman are in love. Something happens that creates a traumatic response in the man. The woman has not lived through this experience but she does her best to be supportive. The man feels different, he is frightened. He drinks. The woman tries to connect. Her man  acts like she is not there. He watches violent programs on tv for days at a time. He may read his paper at breakfast, watch tv while they dine in a restaurant, turn down invitations to go out with friends or visit with family. He loses his patience with the children. They are too loud, too demanding, too hyper. He says hurtful words. The woman confronts him. He releases a disproportionate amount of rage at her, his words are hurtful. He is cold and the woman wonders what the future holds for them. He doesn't seem interested in her sexually. She is
hurt and feels isolated. She starts to feel angry and wonders if they will survive as a couple.

If you recognize your relationship, here are some tips:
1-Read as much as you can about this diagnosis, information is power.
2-Join a support group and encourage him to do the same, you can learn from others.
3-Have a safety plan. If he is angry and needs space to calm down, write down a list of people you can call and places you can go.
4-Work together to identify triggers so you are both aware of them.
5-Take very good care of yourself so you don't burn out.
6-Present community resources to your partner and offer to take him there, timing is essential here.
7-Communicate with your partner when it is safe to do so, remind him that you are on the same side and he is not alone.
8-Explore all treatment options, you never know what will work best for your loved one.

I hope these tips are helpful to you.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul@ripnet.com