The psychology of post-traumatic stress disorder - Joelle Rabow Maletis

Translator: Nika Kotnik Reviewer: Klavdija Černilogar Dwyer

Many of us will experience some kind of trauma during our lifetime.

Večina nas bo tekom življenja izkusila neke vrste travmo.

Sometimes, we escape with no long-term effects.

Včasih iz tega pridemo brez dolgoročnih posledic.

But for millions of us, those experiences linger,

A za milijone ljudi te izkušnje ne izginejo

causing symptoms like flashbacks,

in simptomi kot so prebliski,

nightmares,

nočne more

and negative thoughts that interfere with everyday life.

in negativne misli, motijo potek vsakdanjega življenja.

This phenomenon, called post-traumatic stress disorder,

Ta pojav se imenuje posttravmatska stresna motnja

or PTSD,

ali PTSD

isn’t a personal failing;

in to ni osebni neuspeh,

rather, it’s a treatable malfunction of certain biological mechanisms

ampak ozdravljiva okvara določenih bioloških mehanizmov,

that allow us to cope with dangerous experiences.

ki nam omogočajo soočanje z nevarnimi izkušnjami.

To understand PTSD,

Da bi razumeli PTSD,

we first need to understand how the brain processes a wide range of ordeals,

moramo najprej razumeti, kako možgani procesirajo širok nabor naporov,

including the death of a loved one,

kot so smrt drage osebe,

domestic violence,

družinsko nasilje,

injury or illness,

poškodba ali bolezen,

abuse,

zloraba,

rape,

posilstvo,

war,

vojna,

car accidents,

prometne nesreče

and natural disasters.

in naravne nesreče.

These events can bring on feelings of danger and helplessness,

Ti dogodki lahko prinesejo občutke nevarnosti in nemoči,

which activate the brain’s alarm system,

ki aktivirajo možganski alarmni sistem,

known as the “fight-flight-freeze” response.

znan tudi kot odziv “boj-beg-zamrznitev”.

When this alarm sounds,

Ko se oglasi ta alarm,

the hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal systems,

se hipotalamus, hipofiza in nadledvična žleza,

known as the HPA axis,

znani kot HPA os,

work together to send signals to the autonomic nervous system.

aktivirajo, da pošljejo signale parasimpatetičnemu živčnemu sistemu.

That’s the network that communicates with adrenal glands and internal organs

To omrežje komunicira z nadledvičnimi žlezami in notranjimi organi

to help regulate functions like heart rate,

ter nadzoruje funkcije, kot so bitje srca

digestion, and respiration.

prebava

in dihanje.

These signals start a chemical cascade

Ti signali sprožijo kemično zaporedje,

that floods the body with several different stress hormones,

ki preplavi telo z različnimi hormoni stresa,

causing physiological changes that prepare the body to defend itself.

kar povzroči fiziološke spremembe, ki pripravijo telo na obrambo.

Our heart rate speeds up,

Srčni utrip se poviša,

breathing quickens,

and muscles tense.

dihanje se pospeši

in mišice se napnejo.

Even after a crisis is over,

Tudi ko je krize konec,

escalated levels of stress hormones may last for days,

povišane ravni hormonov stresa lahko trajajo dneve,

contributing to jittery feelings,

prispevajo k očutkom nemira,

nightmares,

nočnim moram

and other symptoms.

ali drugim simptomom.

For most people, these experiences disappear within a few days to two weeks

Pri večini ljudi ti občutki izginejo v nekaj dneh do dveh tednih,

as their hormone levels stabilize.

ko se ravni hormonov stabilizirajo.

But a small percentage of those who experience trauma

A majhen delež tistih, ki doživijo travmo,

have persistent problems

ima trajne težave,

—sometimes vanishing temporarily only to resurface months later.

ki včasih začasno izginejo in se vrnejo mesece kasneje.

We don’t completely understand what’s happening in the brain,

Ne razumemo popolnoma, kaj se dogaja v možganih,

but one theory is that the stress hormone cortisol

a ena teorija pravi, da stresni hormon kortizol

may be continuously activating the “fight-flight-freeze” response

morda neprestano aktivira odziv “boj-beg-zamrznitev”

while reducing overall brain functioning, leading to a number of negative symptoms.

in zmanjša splošno delovanje možganov, kar vodi v številne negativne simptome.

These symptoms often fall into four categories:

Ti simptomi ponavadi spadajo v štiri kategorije:

intrusive thoughts, like dreams and flashbacks,

vsiljive misli, kot so sanje in prebliski,

avoiding reminders of the trauma,

izogibanje spominom na travmo,

negative thoughts and feelings, like fear, anger, and guilt,

negativne misli in občutki, kot so strah, jeza in krivda,

and “reactive” symptoms like irritability and difficulty sleeping.

in “reaktivni” simptomi, kot sta razdražljivost in težave s spanjem.

Not everyone has all these symptoms,

Ne doživijo vsi teh simptomov

or experiences them to the same extent and intensity.

in jih ne izkusijo na isti način in enako intenzivno.

When problems last more than a month, PTSD is often diagnosed.

Če težave trajajo več kot en mesec, je PTSD pogosta diagnoza.

Genetics,

Genetika,

on-going overwhelming stress,

dolgo trajajoč prekomeren stres

and many risk factors like preexisting mental illnesses

in mnogi dejavniki tveganja, denimo obstoječa duševna bolezen

or lack of emotional support,

ali pomanjkanje čustvene opore,

likely play a role in determining who will experience PTSD.

verjetno igrajo vlogo pri tem, kdo bo izkusil PTSD.

But the underlying cause is still a medical mystery.

A kaj je osnovni vzrok, ostaja medicinska uganka.

A major challenge of coping with PTSD is sensitivity to triggers,

Glavni izziv soočanja s PTSD-jem je občutljivost na sprožilce,

physical and emotional stimuli

fizične in čustvene dražljaje,

that the brain associates with the original trauma.

ki jih možgani povezujejo s prvotno travmo.

These can be everyday sensations that aren’t inherently dangerous

To so lahko vsakodnevne stvari, ki same po sebi niso nevarne,

but prompt powerful physical and emotional reactions.

a povzročijo močne telesne in čustvene odzive.

For example, the smell of a campfire

Na primer, vonj tabornega ognja

could evoke the memory of being trapped in a burning house.

lahko vzbudi spomin na ujetost v goreči hiši.

For someone with PTSD,

Za osebo s PTSD-jem

that memory activates the same neurochemical cascade

ta spomin aktivira enake nevrokemične procese

as the original event.

kot izvirni dogodek.

That then stirs up the same feelings of panic and helplessness

To potem povzroči enake občutke panike in nemoči,

as if they’re experiencing the trauma all over again.

kot če bi spet doživljali travmo.

Trying to avoid these triggers, which are sometimes unpredictable,

Izogibanje tem sprožilcem, ki so včasih nepredvidljivi,

can lead to isolation.

lahko vodi v izolacijo.

That can leave people feeling invalidated,

Ljudje se počutijo nepotrjeni,

ignored,

neupoštevani

or misunderstood,

ali narobe razumljeni,

like a pause button has been pushed on their lives

kot da je njihovo življenje obstalo,

while the rest of the world continues around them.

medtem ko se svet okrog njih vrti naprej.

But, there are options.

A tu so možnosti.

If you think you might be suffering from PTSD,

Če mislite, da trpite za PTSD-jem,

the first step is an evaluation with a mental health professional

je prvi korak posvet s strokovnjakom za duševno zdravje,

who can direct you towards the many resources available.

ki vas lahko usmeri k možnostim, ki so na voljo.

Psychotherapy can be very effective for PTSD,

Psihoterapija je lahko zelo učinkovita v boju s PTSD-jem,

helping patients better understand their triggers.

ker pomaga bolnikom bolje razumeti njihove sprožilce.

And certain medications can make symptoms more manageable,

In določena zdravila pomagajo obvladati simptome,

as can self- care practices, like mindfulness and regular exercise.

kot lahko to storijo tehnike za samopomoč, recimo čuječnost in redna telovadba.

What if you notice signs of PTSD in a friend or family member?

Kaj pa če opazite znake PTSD-ja pri prijatelju ali družinskem članu?

Social support, acceptance, and empathy are key to helping and recovery.

Vzajemna pomoč, sprejemanje in empatija so ključ do pomoči in okrevanja.

Let them know you believe their account of what they’re experiencing,

Povejte jim, da jim verjamete

and that you don’t blame them for their reactions.

in da jih ne krivite za njihove odzive.

If they’re open to it,

Če so odprti do tega,

encourage them to seek evaluation and treatment.

jih vzpodbujajte pri iskanju pomoči in zdravljenja.

PTSD has been called “the hidden wound”

PTSD imenujejo tudi “skrita rana”,

because it comes without outward physical signs.

ker nima zunanjih fizičnih znakov.

But even if it’s an invisible disorder, it doesn’t have to be a silent one.

A čeprav je nevidna bolezen, ni treba, da je tiha.