When he was only 12 years old, Edgar (not real name) suffered a great loss—his mother died. It was, he says, a period of immense sadness in his life, and he wondered if he would ever get through it. He recalls that life changed significantly as grief weighed heavily upon him. “I was a child—used to my mother’s presence—so when she was not there anymore and I thought about the good times we had together, I’d get very sad and would isolate myself,” he says. As he tried to deal with the pain, life went on, and his father married another woman. Eventually, he looked at it as a good thing as he hoped his stepmother would fill the void in his heart. Unfortunately, his father’s second wife had her own agenda. “My step-mother started mistreating me, and I no longer looked like a child at home,” he says. Five years later, tragedy struck again, and his father passed away. This time, it was too big a burden to bear. He found himself falling back into depression. “I started feeling the waves of depression and anxiety, I had mental breakdowns and it became intense. Losing two parents, and in addition to that, my guardian had turned into a tyrant! It was really dreadful,” he notes. One day, as he was out and about, he bumped into a relative and they spoke for a while. And so Edgar told him how he felt. The relative realised Edgar’s issues were deep and that he would have to see a specialist. And so with time, he took him to see one. After a few sessions, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. “He said I had symptoms of PTSD like flashbacks, fear, severe anxiety, social isolation and even hostility, among others,” he says. Understanding PTSD According to Mayo Clinic, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD. Dr Vincent Sezibera, an associate professor of psychology and the director of the Center for Mental Health at University of Rwanda’s College of Medicine and Health Science (CMHS), says more education from the ground level to address the matter is necessary. Mental disorders or illnesses are conditions that affect one’s thinking mood, feelings, and behaviour. Some of these conditions may occur and end at a given period of time, whereas others are chronic. The disease has many signs but basically the common ones are; a life-threatening event, this includes a perceived-to-be life threatening event. Internal reminders of the event, these are symptoms typically present as nightmares or flash backs. Avoidance of external reminders and changes in mood or thinking to mention a few. “Great emphasis needs to be put in educating the population more about mental illness and to create awareness of these diseases earlier. “My advice to PTSD patients is to seek early treatment and take time to enjoy hobbies as a recovery technique,” Dr Sezibera says. Dr Cindi Cassady, a clinical psychologist at Caraes Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital, says PTSD can affect a person’s ability to work, perform day-to-day activities, or relate to their families and friends. A person with the illness can often seem disinterested or distant and they try not to think or feel in order to block out painful memories. “Because of the stigma surrounding PTSD, others may look down on them due to the beliefs they have on the subject that aren’t true. And this affects their support and social life and so I advise to understand the illness, it can be treated, it’s not contagious and it’s not their fault that they suffer such a mental problem; they are still human beings like all of us,” Dr Cassady says. Treatment and healing PTSD is a mental illness, not an incurable disease so yes, people can and do heal from it. Psychotherapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) can help control the issue and prevent it them from getting worse. Medication such as SSRI antidepressants can also help ease the indications. “People’s attitude changes when they come in contact with those that suffer from PTSD due to their ignorance about it. I would recommend to learn about the subject because stigma is born out of lack of knowledge, and to those that suffer such a condition, they may not want to share their experience due to shame, fear or guilt and that is called “self-stigma” and that is even more dangerous because human companionship is one of the best treatments recommended to patients. “Your attitude and actions can influence what others think about you. Be honest about it, when one helps people understand PTSD, they are more likely to get past their negative views of it,” Dr Cassady says. ‘Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment can help you regain a sense of control over your life. The primary treatment is psychotherapy, but can also include medication. Combining these treatments can help improve your symptoms by: • Teaching you skills to address your symptoms. • Helping you think better about yourself, others and the world. • Learning ways to cope if any symptoms arise again. • Treating other problems often related to traumatic experiences, such as depression, anxiety, or misuse of alcohol or drugs. ‘You don’t have to try to handle the burden of PTSD on your own,’ Mayo Clinic suggests. Intensity of symptoms and when to see a doctor ‘PTSD symptoms can vary in intensity over time. You may have more PTSD symptoms when you’re stressed in general, or when you come across reminders of what you went through. For example, you may hear a car backfire and relive combat experiences. Or you may see a report on the news about a sexual assault and feel overcome by memories of your own assault. If you have disturbing thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event for more than a month, if they’re severe, or if you feel you’re having trouble getting your life back under control, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. Getting treatment as soon as possible can help prevent PTSD symptoms from getting worse,’ Mayo Clinic notes.
