High chances of PTSD among Pahalgam survivors, counselling helps to lead normal life: Docs
Patna: Many survivors of the horrific terrorist attack at Pahalgam on Tuesday, especially the family members who witnessed their near and dear ones being shot right in front of their eyes, have high chances of suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) that may take time to recover, felt city-based psychiatrists, adding the condition worsens if timely help is not sought from experts.
Head of psychiatry department and de-addiction unit at NMCH, Dr Prof Santosh Kumar, said that PTSD was more likely to be observed in anxiety-prone people. "It is common after a major trauma. This is observed in soldiers, who see their colleagues being killed in front of their eyes, and there is possibility that family members of those killed in Pahalgam may also suffer from this illness," said Kumar, adding it usually takes around a month for the symptoms to appear in individuals.
"The most common symptoms are 'numbing of emotions' like laughter or joy. People might also become 'avoidant' and may never revisit the place of occurrence or just stop going out on excursions or simply restrict themselves within the confines of their homes. The third most important symptom is 'arousal' and people get startled with even minimum noise," said Kumar, adding help of counsellors, psychiatrists and even psychologists may go a long way in getting over such traumatic experiences.
Another city-based psychiatrist Dr Kundan Kumar Singh said the illness, in which individuals may also see flashbacks and nightmares related to the horrific incidents experienced, may persist for lifelong if timely help of experts is not taken. "The ailment may get treated in a few months, however, there is no fixed time that suits all. The duration of treatment depends upon severity of the cases, and from person to person," said Singh, adding they should never hesitate from taking help of psychiatrists. "They should undergo the prescribed sessions of counselling to lead a normal life post trauma or else there are chances of the ailment developing into a depression."
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Psychiatrist Dr Pranay Priya said that patients were normally treated with various therapies, including psychotherapy, cognitive behaviour therapy and behaviour therapy in normal circumstances. "But if the stress level reaches the highest reading of 90, patients may have to take medicines too to bring it down to the normal level of 30," said Priya.
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