SYMPTOMS OF PTSD
Symptoms of the disorder can usually appear within the first three months. People with PTSD may be troubled by intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to the traumatic event that persist long after the event has ended. They may:
- experience intrusive memories of the traumatic event and/or nightmares;
- feel sad, fearful or angry, and feel isolated from other people;
- avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event;
- have a strong negative reaction to such ordinary things as loud noises or accidental touch.
PTSD is largely treatable and resolves successfully in most patients. However, PTSD can cause a range of physical and mental disorders, suffering and difficulties in communication. If you or someone you love experiences these symptoms, you should seek help. (see below)
WHO SHOULD I CONTACT WITH SYMPTOMS OF PTSD?
The first person to contact for signs of PTSD is a family doctor at a medical institution that has a contract with the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU).
You can find such specialists on the NHSU website, on the dashboard “Providers of medical care in the direction of “Psychological and psychiatric care”. Among the filters on the left, you should select the type of care “Primary”, as well as your region, community and settlement.
If you have symptoms of PTSD, you can also contact health care institutions (HCPs) that provide secondary (specialized) and tertiary (highly specialized) medical care for diagnosis. These institutions can also be found on the NHSU dashboard.
PTSD diagnostic and treatment services in medical institutions that have contracts with the NHSU are provided free of charge.
VR IN PTSD DIAGNOSIS
New technologies such as VR are opening up new possibilities in the field of mental health. VR is a promising diagnostic tool because it allows for real-time assessment with simultaneous use of biomarkers, unlike self-reports used in clinical interviews for classical diagnosis.
Research is currently underway into the possibility of using VR technology in the diagnosis of various mental disorders. Specific virtual reality with the ability to monitor physiological functions in real time, such as skin conductance, can be used as a diagnostic tool. Research is also underway into the application of VR in the diagnosis of PTSD.