OET Gaps 07

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Welcome to the Health Matters podcast. Joining me today is Doctor Don Steflin, and together we’ll be looking at PTSD. It’s a pleasure to have you over, doctor Stephlin. Thank you for having me, Ricky.

So the topic today is post trauma stress disorder or PTSD. This is defined as a series of mental activities that occurs in a person after one experiences a traumatic and stressful situation in their lives.

Right? Is it a major problem here in the UK?

All over the world, really. The majority of (1) _________________ _ military experience a lot of things during their training as well as in the battlefields, whilst they work hard to defend their countries. As such, most military (2) ___________________ are susceptible to PTSD. The condition is so extensive, and to give you an example about it here in the United Kingdom, almost (3) ________________ British soldiers suffers from the illness. The existence of PTSD dates back some time. It was first discovered in ex-serving military soldiers who had either (4) _______________________ or non-combat roles. The post trauma reactions are accompanied by increased levels of anxiety as well as fear when a memory of what happened is (5) _______________________. Generally, post traumatic stress disorder is linked to causes like involvement in a traumatic accident, rape as the victim, being held as a (6) __________________ during a terrorist attack, working as a combat soldier, witnessing brutal murder and death, or the (7) _______________________ of a close family member or friend, among others. People react differently towards traumatic situations they find themselves in, which makes it difficult to diagnose the condition. After all, we don’t want to (8) _______________________ sufferers. In sum, people who have served in the military have experienced a lot of situations ranging from seeing people (9) ________________ and or killing others.

Why is PTSD so difficult to diagnose and treat?

In a nutshell, the sheer impact on mental health. If we break things down, the condition really renders patients psychologically (10) ____________. According to a meta-analysis that was completed in association with (11) ___________ and combat soldiers and veterans, the disease was found to be present in almost all the (12) ___________________ who participated in the study. Other risk factors include a (13) ___________________ of PTSD or any mental illness or any (14) ___________________ disease associated with the loss of a body part while in the field. In terms of classification, PTSD can be divided into (15) ___________________, post trauma stress disorder and complex and birth trauma. In the former, signs and symptoms often appear (16) ___________________ post injury. On the other hand, complex birth trauma affects women’s traumatic experiences during delivery. Delayed onset and complex post trauma stress disorder are the most common forms of PTSD in combat soldiers and veterans.

Why on earth do they keep putting themselves in the firing line, so to speak?

Usually, ex-military persons have served for extended periods since (17) ___________________ to their country is often mandatory. In the name of perseverance, they are subjected to lots of trauma which later (18) ___________________ them psychologically. Veterans with PTSD often present with several signs and symptoms such as disturbed sleep patterns, anger, (19) ___________________, social isolation, numbing, refreshing movements, sweating and pain when they remember what they had gone through. Some veterans present with constant memories of the (20) ___________________ and as a result end up blaming themselves for what they feel they ought to have done differently.

It’s such an unfortunate situation. I think I speak for all of us when I ask how do we treat it?

Post trauma stress disorder treatment involves a lot of psychological support as well as medications. Before treatment options are decided upon, a (21) ___________________ assessment is completed. The symptoms an individual is having are then assessed and based on their (22) ___________________, a specialist referral is sought.

Okay, so say the individual is not experiencing severe symptoms. What happens then?

Well, in cases where the veterans are not experiencing severe signs and symptoms, they are often left (23) ___________________ with hopes that they will get better in time. For (23) ___________________, the person is given several psychotherapy treatments that include CBT or other behavioral therapies. Medication is used in treatment, but is considered to be a last resort if (24) ___________________ prove to be ineffective. Examples of psychotherapy treatment include group psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and eye movement (25) ___________________ and reprocessing among others. Group therapy helps veterans to discuss their traumas and through (26) ___________________, they are able to share tips and coping mechanisms with one another. Cognitive behavioral therapies help the (27) ___________________ to train their behavior as well as develop new coping strategies.

So if these don’t work, then what happens? Do we switch to medication, for example?

In terms of medication, medical management involves the administration of antidepressants and (28) ______________ among others. In severe cases, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, and medication can be used (29) ___________________ to help manage such patients. Most of the cases of military (30) ___________________ are often very difficult to treat.