LET'S talk ...relationship: Shell-shocked
published:
Saturday | July 26, 2008
Yvonnie Bailey- Davidson
Dear Counsellor:
I witnessed a car accident last year and I am still having nightmares. I get nervous and afraid whenever I have to drive. I am desperately fighting the images of the accident but it's as if I am tormented. Many things remind me of the accident and I am unable to function as I used to. I don't know what to do.
- Angela
Dear Angela:
You seem to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It occurs after a traumatic experience. It is treated with counselling and medication. Many individuals in the Jamaican society are suffering from PTSD and are not being identified and treated.
Many events cause PTSD. Disasters, whether man-made or natural, can cause people to develop PTSD. Therefore, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, motor-vehicle accidents, plane crashes, rape, abuse and war may traumatise persons. PTSD can range from mild to severe and can be very incapacitating. Some people find that they are very angry, get irritable quite easily, are unable to sleep and have nightmares that they are able to recall vividly.
Sometimes people get traumatised, even though they were not actually at the scene of the accident. Just listening to someone recall his story or witnessing the images in a newspaper or watching the television or viewing the incident can cause PTSD.
Suicide spate
Dear Counsellor:
I am sometimes worried and concerned about the number of persons who are committing suicide or trying to commit suicide. Is there something going on that we don't know about?
- Marlon
Dear Marlon:
Suicide and attempted suicide have always been with us. The population has increased and so the actual aggregate numbers may have increased as well. People have also been thinking that it's a solution to life's problems.
Some persons who are depressed or psychotic tend to attempt suicide. Some people consider suicide impulsively, at the spur of the moment, when there is an interpersonal conflict or dispute. These individuals don't give much thought to their action and some end up dead.
Suicidal behaviour is problematic for the individual as well as the family. Family members have to put these individuals on suicide watch or get them admitted to a hospital. Suicidal behaviour is a medical emergency and these individuals need to be seen by a psychiatrist. It is important to offer therapy to individuals with suicidal behaviour or suicidal thoughts.
There are always other options, other solutions to life's problems, and individuals with suicidal thoughts should be counselled. Some individuals will need to be given medication and placed under the supervision of family members.
In the past, people lived in close-knit families and communities but nowadays self-sufficiency is encouraged. People have become alienated, isolated and live lonely lives. This type of culture fosters the preoccupation with existential issues and so people are searching for purpose and meaning to life.
Phone Dr Yvonnie Bailey-Davidson at 978-8602 or email yvonniebd@hotmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.
