I recently had the opportunity to interview Jaime Parent about PTSD in a post Covid world. The virus may be waning (hopefully) but many frontline workers are experiencing the same issues with PTSD as our military personnel and their families. There is also mounting evidence that suggests 1/3 of COVID19 patients may also be suffering from PTSD.
What is PTSD?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic or horrifying event. Although it is often associated with military and war, people can develop PTSD from witnessing or experiencing other types of trauma, such as an automobile accident, natural disaster, physical or mental abuse or some sort of sexual trauma. People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger and they may feel detached or estranged from other people, including those that love and care for them the most.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, PTSD can occur in anyone, regardless of their age, ethnicity, nationality, or culture. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults every year, and an estimated one in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD. Three ethnic groups – U.S. Latinos, African Americans, and American Indians – are disproportionately affected.
We often associate PTSD with things like military experiences, but how can it relate to Covid-19?
During the first World War, “combat fatigue” was believed to be a physiological response to war. Some experts at the time believed that this condition was the result of some type of nerve damage or perhaps some issues relating to the character of the individual soldier. This led to the construct that the disorder was the result of some character flaw or weakness within a person. Advances in medicine have debunked such theories.
COVID-19 has emerged as global health pandemic and the trauma associated with this disease can result in PTSD. Healthcare workers are particularly vulnerable as they have witnessed the trauma of the disease through their close work with patients and their families. Anxiety and depression can also occur as first responders grapple with what they are experiencing in their daily lives, combined with the fear of contracting the disease themselves. For those patients that have survived COVID, lingering feelings of despair, guilt may continue. They worry about experience social isolation, intense and perhaps unexpected physical responses and a continued fear for their very survival. Such feelings may persist for weeks, months and perhaps years after the physical recovery.
Early data shows that first responders and survivors to the Surfside Florida building collapse may also be exhibiting signs of PTSD. Matt Willhite, a fire captain and 25 year veteran of the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue team, had this to say,
“We often think of PTSD as something that affects veterans coming home from war. Yet, likewise, the firefighters and police officers who have been tirelessly working at the scene of the condo collapse in Surfside will not be able to unsee the tragedy they are seeing. When the dust settles and the last piece of concrete is removed, there will still be a pile of rubble consuming the minds of every family affected and all the first responders on the scene. The media may not report on it, but what remains is an unseen tragedy that isn’t easily repaired.”
What are some signs of Covid-related PTSD?
Johns Hopkins researcher Tamar Rodney is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who has worked in trauma and psychiatry. Rodney believes that PTSD can often be delayed for months or even years after the initial trauma. Rodney points to the following things to be on the lookout for:
Intrusion: When memories or concerns about trauma interrupt a flow of thought or emotional well-being
Avoidance: Purposefully avoiding people, places, or things that remind you of the trauma
Negative Mood: Reacting to life in a negative manner or not at all
Hyper Arousal: Not in keeping with an individual's regular reactions, including difficulty sleeping, irritability, and difficulty concentrating
How can people cope with PTSD?
PTSD affects relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and anyone that comes in contact with your loved one. It is complex, difficult to understand and difficult to live with. Experts sometimes refer to a person with PTSD as having “invisible wounds,” as the trauma experience is deep and hard to understand. Left untreated, PTSD can lead to substance abuse, anxiety and depression, loss of job or marriage, and even loss of life. The pandemic numbers may be waning, but post pandemic PTSD is here for the long run.
Showing your love and support for someone with PTSD isn’t easy. You can’t force your loved one to do anything that they don’t want to do, but you can play a significant role in their healing. For COVID-19 first responder families, here are five tips to help you deal with PTSD
Show your loved one care and compassion. Comfort for someone with PTSD comes from feeling loved, engaged and accepted. This can be difficult in the throes of emotional chaos and despair, but keep showing all the love and caring you are capable of giving.
Continue to do the things you all enjoyed before COVID. Go to the beach, re-engage in a fun familiar hobby, seek calming experiences such as Yoga, meditation or exercise. Stay engaged and promote a better future.
Watch out for triggers. This is especially important around July 4th for veterans who react negatively to fireworks. For COVID 19 loved ones, keep over the top news programs off TV and social media. Should triggers occur, respond by being a good listener and comforter. Look for signs of distress but avoid passing judgment.
Take care of your needs first. Set boundaries for yourself and your loved one. Have honest conversations about what is happening. Include all family members in the discussions and encourage them to do the same.
Join a support group or seek additional help. This is a good idea for yourself and your loved one. Attend a group even if your loved one won’t go, as you, too, need help with PTSD. Be sure to seek medical advice when needed. Many new and innovative treatment modalities for PTSD have been developed over the last two decades. Educate yourself on the latest advances in psychiatric and social support. Share what you learn with others.
Can PTSD ever go away?
In my book, Moving Past PTSD, I write about a female Marine whose job was to deliver ammunitions daily to the front lines. “Bea” as she was called, was certain that she would die in combat, and when that day would come, she would kill as much of the enemy and save the maximum number of comrades as possible. That day never came and “Bea” came home severely traumatized. She rarely left home, trusted no one, and was suicidal. After some intensive on the job training with computers, Bea regained her sense of purpose and began to feel normal again. She stopped taking many of her medications and began to live a normal and more meaningful life.
Did her PTSD go away? Probably not. But the flashbacks, triggers and subsequent medication were all significantly reduced. Cure is a strong word, but with the right treatment and approach, people with PTSD can recover and get closer to being back to their old self – the way they were before the traumatic incident occurred.
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Credit to the American Psychiatric Association, the Ft Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, July 12, 2021 and John Hopkins Newsletter, April 21, 2021 for background information and insight for this interview.
Author Jaime B. Parent is a retired Lieutenant Colonel, Biomedical Science Corps, United States Air Force. He continues to serve by creating a unique fast track IT career internship, the EN-Abled Vet (http://www.en-abledvet.net), which has been adopted across 15 states. Lt. Col. Parent is a passionate advocate for inclusive communities. He now writes about his experiences with his fellow veterans. He is also a sought-after speaker at veterans and disability events as well as conferences in healthcare, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
For more information, please visit the website at: https://movingpastptsd.net.
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