When diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), doctors typically search for three or 4 key symptoms. Hyperarousal is one in every of these key symptoms. Hyperarousal is a pervasive mood and life-altering symptom by which you’re feeling persistently irritable, indignant and paranoid.
Hyperarousal will be characterised by:
- Pervasive nervous feelings
- Always on the lookout for danger
- General irritability
- I immediately get indignant
- Startled by loud noises
- paranoia
- Difficult sleeping
- Inability to pay attention or give attention to one thing
Hyperarousal is just one in every of the most important symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Signs of hyperarousal alone may not result in a PTSD diagnosis. Other symptoms of PTSD to look at out for include:
- Reliving traumatic events. This could be a collection of symptoms where you unintentionally relive the event(s) related to your trauma. This could present itself in nightmares or flashbacks. People with PTSD could also be triggered by physical things, similar to sounds or smells, that remind them of their trauma. These episodes may cause physical pain, sweating, nausea, and tremors.
- Avoid people, places and things. To prevent a flashback or episode, individuals with PTSD often isolate themselves from those around them. This may cause them to avoid people, places, or activities to guard themselves.
- Refuse Mental health. People with PTSD often suffer from other mental health problems similar to depression, anxiety, or severe fear. They also often engage in self-harm, addiction, or other destructive activities.
If you or someone you recognize has suffered from hyperarousal or other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, it's best to see a physician to actually understand what you're experiencing. ‌To determine whether you may have post-traumatic stress disorder, a psychologist or psychiatrist will conduct an assessment of your life and mental state. They may interview the people closest to you or conduct cognitive tests.
To receive a PTSD diagnosis, you sometimes have to experience major symptoms of PTSD for a period of 1 month. The frequency of every symptom is as follows:
- A recurring symptom,
- Three avoidance symptoms
- Two hyperarousal symptoms.
Hyperarousal is a serious symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, a disorder that may dramatically change your life. Your fight-or-flight response is continuously activated and also you live in a continuing state of tension.
This can result in a continuing feeling of distrust and panic. Paranoia and irritability can set in in a short time, as can an inability to go to sleep. Depending on how severe your hyperarousal is, it might probably affect your entire life.
Traditionally, PTSD is treated through psychotherapy. The several types of psychotherapy which are hottest with PTSD patients include:
- Cognitive processing therapy
- Prolonged exposure
- Desensitization and reprocessing of eye movements
In addition to therapy, PTSD is commonly treated with medication. Typically, patients are prescribed certain kinds of antidepressants. Examples of those medications include:
- Sertraline
- Paroxetine
- Fluoxetine
- Venlafaxine
However, even after other symptoms of PTSD have subsided, patients often still report symptoms of hyperarousal. Alternative methods proven to assist with overexcitation include:
- Physiological rest training. This is a rest method utilized in a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that teaches respiratory and rest exercises to administer hyperarousal.
- Meditation. Studies have shown that meditation can significantly reduce patients' stress and tension levels.
- Pharmacotherapy. There may be sure situations that require taking specific medications to alleviate hyperarousal symptoms. Benzodiazepines with minor withdrawal symptoms will be very helpful. Lithium, anticonvulsants, and clonidine have also been shown to be effective in treating hyperarousal.