The Challenge of Coping with Sexual Trauma

According to the National Center for Victims of Crime and Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, over 683,000 women are victims of sexual assault every year. Of these, nearly 211,000 suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the cases of sexual abuse are not only limited to women. You will be surprised to know that as compared to girls, boys are more likely to get assaulted sexually by non-family members such as coaches, priests or ministers in places such as schools, churches and athletics program. In nearly 86% of the cases, boys become victim to male perpetrators.

Upshots of Sexual Trauma

The incidence of sexual harassment leaves a deep impact on the mind of the victim. This wound takes a long time to heal and during this healing period, the sufferer undergoes a number of mental and psychological instabilities. This article deals with some of the heart-wrenching effects of sexual trauma.

• Flashbacks

Memories are supposed to bring back loud laughter and cherish-able moments. However, this may not be the case with a victim of sexual assault. Flashbacks are a very common after effect of sexual trauma. When a flashback occurs, the victim is unable to differentiate between the past and the present and feels that he/she is experiencing the entire incident all over again. Such flashbacks can recur in the any form, such as dreams, images, overwhelming emotions or even a specific smell. Although flashbacks are a passing moment, some can prove to be highly dangerous and last for a long time. In case of flashbacks, try to comfort the victim and make him/her aware of the reality.

• Depression

Out of the various mental and psychological reactions, depression is the most common after effect of sexual trauma. It is very normal for a person to feel blue for few days after the assault. However, if this sadness persists for longer, that is more than two weeks; depression becomes a serious matter of concern. The most dangerous part of depression is that its effects are reflected in the victim’s day to day life. Depression often leads to obesity or extreme weight loss, persistent fatigue, indecisiveness, and anxiety. In some severe cases, the victim can develop a feeling of worthlessness and may even attempt suicide. It is therefore essential to seek professional help if you observe persistent depression.

The experience of sexual trauma varies from person to person. Therefore, there is no single best way to deal with sexual assault. Remember, it is a terrible experience and people just can’t snap-out of it all by themselves. They need care and help from their loved ones. 

Types of Depression Treatment Available

Depression is one of the most widespread psychological diseases, affecting generally everyone at least once in their lifespan. According to recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the most extensively circulated medical journal around the world, nearly seven of every hundred people, over 18years of age, suffer from depression, at any point in their lives. It was also estimated that depression will become the second most familiar health problem in the world by 2020. However, the good news is depression is amongst the most curable diseases; about 80 to 90 % of victims can get relief. Researchers are working diligently to develop new techniques for developing depression treatment methods.

Depression Treatment Methods: Your Options

Depression is a recurring malady; it cannot be left untreated. There are a number of depression treatment methods available. Some of the most commonly used methods for treating depression are:

• Psychotherapy

Depression victims go through a traumatic period, which affects their personal, professional and social life. Psychotherapy consists of a range of techniques that are used as depression treatments. This therapy may vary from three to four weeks to as many as 20 weeks. The major technique involved in this therapy is counseling. This therapy also requires involvement of the family of the person suffering from depression. Various psychotherapy techniques involved in this include:

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT

CBT therapy as a depression treatment technique is used to treat anxiety as well as some other mental illnesses. This form of therapy is mainly based on how the thought process of the depressed person works. Depressed people are more prone to negative thoughts. Through this therapy the counselor focuses on changing the thought process towards a more positive approach.

2. Interpersonal therapy(IPT)

This is a short period therapy, restricted to 15-20 sessions only, with each session timed at about one hour. IPT’s approach to treatment is addressing the root problem of depression. It helps the person suffering from depression to come out of the interpersonal events or distressing relationships.

• Others Psychotherapy Treatment

Group therapy and psycho-dynamic therapy are two techniques used for depression treatment. In group therapy, different groups of people going through the same kind of trauma interact with each other and share their experiences and techniques to manage their problem.

These depression treatment methods are mainly long-term, which is why things can sometimes feel very frustrating. But the truth is, recovering from depression may take some time. But don’t worry, just relax and have fun, it’s normal, and with the right treatment you will cope up.

Schizophrenia Treatment Options: Things You Need to Know

According to statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately one percent of the US population suffers from schizophrenia. Some common symptoms of this psychiatric condition include inability to make decision, hallucinations, emotional imbalance, disorganized speech and delusions. While there are a number of schizophrenia treatment methods, they will vary a lot from patient to patient based on the symptoms and severity of the disorder. Let’s take a look at some of the most common schizophrenia treatment options.

Schizophrenia Treatment: Your Options

Schizophrenia treatment is usually a life-long process. Although the disease can not be completely cured, the symptoms of the disease can be reduced to a large extent with proper treatment. Following are the three most effective methods of schizophrenia treatment.

1. Use of medication – Doctors often prescribe antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia treatment. Some commonly prescribed drugs include thioridazine, haldol and fluphenazine. These drugs help to eliminate symptoms of delusions, paranoia, and hallucinations. However, frequent use of these medications may trigger side effects. As an alternative to these traditional drugs, many doctors are now prescribing atypical antipsychotic medications such as olanzapine, clozapine, ziprasidone, risperidone, paliperidone and quetiapine. However, such medications should be taken only with doctor’s advice.

2. Cognitive behavioral therapy – This treatment method focuses on the thought process and behavior of the patient. Professional therapists offer advice and guidance about how to change behavioral patterns. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered to be the most effective way of schizophrenia treatment. The idea is to help the patients learn some useful ways to cope with the disease or to reduce the symptoms naturally.

3. Rehabilitation – Some patients are recommended to attend rehabilitation center for quick recovery. Living in the rehab center helps the patients grow healthy living habits such as taking meals on time, learning to cook and growing communication skills.

4. Support from near ones – It is very important for schizophrenia patients to get proper support from the friends and family members. They can also join support groups. Friends and relatives of the patient can also help patients learn basic behaviors such as how to speak with dignity, how to eat, how to dress up and so on. All these can be quite effective when it comes to treating a patient of schizophrenia.

Intake of alcohol and other illegal drugs can make things worse for a patient. On the contrary, growing healthy lifestyle habits such as taking adequate amount of sleep can help improve quality of life for a schizophrenia patient. Lifestyle training can also have positive impact on the patients of schizophrenia.

Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

According to National Institute of Mental Health 2008 studies, it was reported that obsessive compulsive disorder is a widespread psychiatric disorder. OCD affects nearly 2.2 million Americans each year. It is an anxiety disorder, in which the victim repeatedly faces unwanted sensations, thoughts, ideas, feelings or behaviors that forces them to perform the same rituals over and over again. People suffering from OCD often feel helpless and isolated because of their condition. However, educating yourself about obsessive compulsive disorder can help you effectively deal with such uncontrolled thoughts and feelings. Here in this article we will take a look at the different forms in which the disorder manifests itself.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: The Types of Manifestations

Obsessions are spontaneous and irrepressible thoughts or impulses that come to your mind over and over again. These unwanted thoughts occur frequently, and tend to be quite distracting and disturbing. On the other hand, compulsions are rituals that force you to act repeatedly. These compulsive rituals are performed as a result of obsessions. Over time these compulsive behaviors cause anxiety and start taking a toll on the person’s life.

Obsessive compulsive disorder primarily manifests itself in the following forms:

• Washers: These people are mainly fears of being contaminated by dirt or germs. They usually suffer from hand-washing or cleaning compulsions.
• Checkers: Such people repeatedly double check things, which they relate to danger or harm, such as checking appliances, locks and switches.
• Sinners and Doubters: These types of people always fear that haven’t done things perfectly or correctly. As a result they always feel that they will be punished or something horrible will happen, if they don’t do things correctly.
• Arrangers and Counters: These people are mainly obsessed with symmetry and order. These people spend a lot of time ensuring that everything is in the right place and in the right order, and get very upset if things are rearranged or moved around. Sometimes they may also have superstitious views about some colors, numbers or arrangements.
• Hoarder: Such people are afraid that something terrible will happen if they chuck out anything. They suffer from the habit of compulsively gathering things, even those things that are completely useless to them, such as empty food containers or old newspapers.

People suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder suffer from distress and faces interference in their lives and relationships. However, the good news here is that there are so many ways to deal with such feelings and thoughts. Various medications are available today to treat such disorders. However, medication alone is not an effective treatment. Also, medications may have side effects. This is why doctors suggest using cognitive-behavioral therapy for treating obsessive compulsive disorder in conjunction with some antidepressants. You could also try to keep yourself occupied with healthy things such as going out for a jog, exercising, walking, listening to music, playing games or surfing Internet in order to avoid such obsessions and compulsions.