Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people who experience a previous dangerous or shocking event. PTSD is much more than feeling afraid during or after a traumatic situation. Feeling fear is a natural trigger to defend oneself from danger; however, those whose symptoms don’t subside over time may be diagnosed with PTSD.
There are many symptoms associated with PTSD, which usually begin within 3 months after a traumatic event. These symptoms include re-experiencing that trauma, avoidance, arousal/reactivity, and cognition/mood issues. Re-experiencing symptoms is when an individual relives their traumatic event during everyday life. This is very different from just thinking about and remembering the event. Individuals with PTSD will experience physical symptoms such as a racing heart, sweating, and changes of the body’s stress hormones. For this reason, a person with PTSD will often avoid places or things that remind them of such traumatic experiences as well as suppress any thoughts or feelings associated with it. On top of triggered events, PTSD victims usually are easily startled or angered and have difficulty sleeping. Because of this, PTSD is associated with a loss of interest in enjoyable activities, memory issues, and an overall negative outlook on the world.
Narrative Exposure Therapy changes the mechanisms in which a victim processes fear.
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Avoidance and re-experiencing are some common ways PTSD victims cope with traumatic events. They tend to become uncontrollable and unresponsive to verbal instructions. The brain is sending the patient into a “fight, flight, or freeze” response, making them feel as if they are a part of a life or death situation once again. One strategy to combat this is narrative exposure therapy. In narrative exposure therapy, the patient narrates the memory of their traumatic event in detail. This process is believed to correct any distortions to the patient’s memories of trauma gradually through repetition, subconsciously changing how the mind processes fear.
One additional approach related to narrative exposure therapy involved the use of virtual reality (VR). In one study, patients used a VR called EMMA, which is a virtual world full of 3D objects, sounds, images, color, videos, texts, and other objects the patients could bring with them and enter into the system. With the help of a therapist, a patient chooses elements that best reflected their emotional states and representations of their past trauma. Patients would be able to remember their traumatic event while processing their emotions with better control of any symbols that would represent their trauma. The results were promising, showing that this strategy was as effective, if not better, than traditional treatment such as medication. PTSD is very difficult for people all around the world, but it is treatable. With enough help, people can overcome the shackles of their past traumas.
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