Sir, please……..

I remember not being the most well-behaved student for much of my primary school years, and as is deemed appropriate in the traditional Ghanaian classroom, strokes of a flexible cane were something I had to deal with constantly on my behind, back, legs, you name it. Now, this isn’t a sob story about my teachers who never ‘spared the rod’ – corporal punishment is a topic for some other day. I’m just a bit more drawn now to how these strokes made me hypersensitive to these brown weapons of destruction so much so that I could barely stand the basket weaving class in third grade since it required me to constantly be around these canes I hated. In retrospect, that was some mild fear I had developed due to my previous unpleasant experiences, something now termed post-traumatic stress disorder.

How did we get here?

This inhibitory fear has been around for many years under many different names and guises. Soldiers from the first world would come home with their limbs intact ( at least hopefully), but their minds permanently scarred by the noises bomb shells made upon explosion. This shell shock, as it was called, made them unable to stand loud noises of any similitude to the loud war noises, crippling the once intrepid war heroes into cowering yellowbellies. Second world war soldiers returned with a similar ‘combat fatigue’ that made them a little less responsive than their former selves. While these are pretty extreme cases, PTSD isn’t restricted to the most life-shattering circumstances, a specific race, or people of a particular age group. An estimated one in eleven people will be diagnosed with PTSD at some point in their life, and people of color (which includes nearly everyone of Ghanaian descent) are rather disproportionately affected by this as compared to non-Latino whites.

OK, please tell me I don’t have PTSD

For the statistical ten people out of every eleven who have probably not been stroked with PTSD’s fear-inspiring grip, the symptoms that accompany this condition aren’t too foreign. People in fits of post-traumatic stress report intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event (real or perceived) has ended. They constantly relive this experience mentally through flashbacks or nightmares and may be triggered by anything remotely related to the setting of their traumatic experience. They may feel sadness, fear, or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or an accidental touch.

The symptoms make it clear that a lot of what gets passed around as PTSD really isn’t it. PTSD can be diagnosed without a doubt in the clinic by direct or indirect exposure to a traumatic event and observing the reaction of the patient. While most people will experience the same negative emotions above elaborated upon being exposed to a stressor, people are said to have PTSD when these symptoms last for extended periods: from a month to many years.

Now what?

Since the brain works overtime to make such angst-filled memories crystal clear, the only current forms of treating PTSD are aimed at reducing the symptoms to eventually reduce their effect on the patient. Facing your fears and coming to terms with them is far more effective at reducing the negative emotion associated with PTSD than any drug therapy can. For people who like to help themselves, deep breathing exercises that stimulate belly and diaphragm expansion have proven to relieve PTSD-induced tension. Others take to yoga and other mindfulness techniques for a metaphysical relief of their anxiety.

Journaling your mood over time is also very helpful as it makes you more mindful of what triggers any negative emotions and conditions that trigger contrasting positive emotions. You could always book a session with certified counselors on PharstCare’s venting platform, iChare, or book a consultation with qualified doctord on the PharstCare app to anonymously receive social support, albeit virtual, during a crisis.

Yes, this repeated exposure to psychotherapy and cognitive restructuring can take many years to normalize, but gaining control over your thoughts and emotions is worth the hassle. If you’ve come this far down this piece and feel anything close to what’s been described, you’re not alone. You’re not beyond help. Baby steps are all it takes.