The month of June marks Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month. For those who are not familiar with this condition, PTSD is a mental health disorder that occurs after someone experiences a traumatic event. Some examples of traumatic events could be any form of abuse, physical or sexual, a near-fatal accident, or military combat.
Anyone at any age could become diagnosed with this condition, but it is especially impacting women. The National Center of PTSD shows that around 10% of women have PTSD sometime in their lives compared to only 4% of men. What are some of the symptoms of this disorder? What is the cause of its gender disparity? How does it impact women compared to men? Let’s examine these questions and much further.
Symptoms of PTSD
PTSD symptoms fall into four main groups. These groups are known as intrusion, avoidance, arousal and reactivity, and cognition and mood. One thing I’ve learned about this condition is it impacts women differently from men. Women may feel more symptoms that consist of:
- Anxiety and depression.
- Being easily startled.
- Numb with no emotions.
- Sensitive to reminders of the trauma.
Another thing to know is that women’s symptoms typically last longer than men. Also, on average, they normally wait 4 years to see a doctor, compared to a year for men.
Possible Causes for this Gender Disparity
There has been some research to support this gender disparity in PTSD. Some of the possible causes include the type of trauma, culture and gender roles, and coping strategy. Men are more likely to experience traumatic events involving physical assaults, accidents, and disasters. Women are more prone to experience rape or sexual assault as a child.
Also, the way women cope with stress is another factor regarding why they go through PTSD more than men. A recent study shows that women respond to stressful situations by tending and befriending people. This means that they are more than likely to reach out to people for stress relief or take care of people around them. All of these things make women more likely to suffer from PTSD than men.
Forms of Treatment for PTSD
To treat PTSD, patients normally go through different types of therapies or medications. Sometimes, it could be a combination of both. Some of the most common therapies include:
- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)
- Prolonged exposure therapy (PET)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
- Anti-depressant Medicines
All of these are common examples of treating the PTSD condition.
PTSD is a mental disorder that is impacting many people, but especially women today. If you or someone you know is exhibiting signs of having this condition, please seek help immediately. We all must take measures to protect our mental health. Please like or share this post with someone you love going through this condition and help them to see that they are not alone.
