Most Pakistanis live with PTSD

Natural disasters and man-made catastrophes like floods, earthquakes, tropical storm, accidents and wars are common distressing incidents the world over.

Among these traumatic occasions, earthquakes are a common occurrence. Researchers have demonstrated that survivors of earth-shakes can experience the after-effects of mental trauma, for example, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other uneasiness issues, and despondency.

The noteworthiness of this issue in Pakistan has been highlighted by a few studies. One of the studies was led by Naeem et al (2011) which was done a year and a half after the devastating earthquake of 2005, the magnitude of which reached 7.6 on the Richter scale. The earthquake hit the uneven districts of northern Pakistan, along with Kashmir. The researchers discovered that the predominance of PTSD among men and women who were at homes that day or were placed in tents after the destruction was 33.4% and 55.2% respectively.

PTSD is known to occur after an individual goes through a disastrous happening, like wars, earthquakes, genuine mishaps and so forth. PTSD indications incorporate agitation, erratic bad dreams, flashbacks, fear, expanded startle reaction and hyper-sensitivity. These signs keep going for over one month and can last quite a long while. PTSD essentially disturbs the regular routine of working and personal life of the sufferers. The existing psycho-trauma recommends that numerous components – like level to grievance, degree of misfortune, force of anxiety, history of dysfunctional behavior and so forth – are identified with the lingering threat for PTSD.

In reference to Crescent Post, there happens to be a major increase of PTSD in Pakistan, owing to the anxiety that is also promoted by the deficiency of basic supplies.

Co-chair of the Psychiatry in Developing Countries arm of the World Psychiatric Association, Dr Afzal Javed says:

“Most people in Pakistan are living with a continued sense of helplessness, and rather than dealing with it they are accepting it. There is no concept of psychiatric social work in Pakistan. When your physical well-being is not guaranteed and you don’t have enough to feed your children, your mental health is not a priority.”

Psychiatrists from Pakistan firmly accept that a bulk of the populous is diagnosed from PTSD and there are very little efforts made to aid them. The World Health Organization estimates there are only 320 psychiatrists in Pakistan to deal with 176 million patients.

In a recent study, it was discovered that 23% experienced PTSD with dreary misery. In another neighborhood study, it was found that the recurrence of PTSD was especially expanded in individuals who had experienced physical wounds when differentiated with the individuals who did not. A reading on 75 depressed women who survived the tremor in K-P, disclosed that 81% of the women were in misery and each of them was suffering from PTSD.

Introduction to of violence on TV is prompting the increase of PTSD among individuals in Pakistan, making it a common mental health concern in the nation.

Proofs from studies led by the Department of Psychiatry of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, in a joint effort with the South Hampton University, UK, and in a current publication in a renowned worldwide journal, show that 100 (20.2%) of the 494 members incorporated into a family unit overview directed in Islamabad between January-April 2009, reported encountering real-life after-shocks amid the most of 12 months and 172 (34.8%) within their lifetimes. About half (45.3%) of the individuals who experienced these after-effects and sat in front of the TV scored affirmative for PTSD, distinguished between the one-fifth (20.8%) of the individuals who just viewed traumatic incidents on TV. Further examinations in this research found that cases were factually more prone to having higher rates of desolation and inability and to live in joint family framework.

With a specific end goal to have a clear comprehension of PTSD, framework and policies need to be drawn in order to explain the determinant of this disease and how patients can be cured or treated. PTSD is becoming an epidemic in Pakistan; we need to stop it before it’s too late.