PSTD and Other Panic Disorders - Family and Community Support

Recently I have been able to personally view some of the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD), anxiety attacks, panic attacks with people I have met. The most startling realization has been how often the other people around these individuals have reacted with something far less than emotional support and have treated each of them as though they were no longer a part of their community or of the family group. In some cases, mentally ill people are in one way or another designated as being less than "human". Many people are viewed as not being sick at all and, in fact, these individuals have frequently been told that all they have to do is "get out and do something" and whatever is wrong with them will magically disappear.

These individuals include a family member who suffered a very disabling debilitating fall while on a job site, a woman who had a tumor removed from her brain, and an entire family who lost their home to a fire. Each of them has suffered from the financial and emotional aftereffects of what happened to them. Each of them often feels alone and adrift with little or no support system and with no real expectation that things will get better. Others who may have the ability to make their lives easier and more fulfilling are doing little to change or alleviate those feelings.

The man who suffered multiple bone damage, soft tissue brain damage, and had developed several hernias from a twenty foot free fall to a cement floor did receive the expected "I am so sorry this happened to you" from family and friends. Unfortunately, when his physical problems began to develop into additional emotional illnesses, those same people began to tell him it was "all in his head" or that he was just making it up to garner more sympathy or to keep from working. Yet, the difficulties he faces every day just to get out of bed or to remember to take his medications has caused him to need a caretaker just to watch out for his basic needs.

As time went by, he also developed other physical problems and began to suffer heart attacks, strokes, depression, and finally found out he had a form of leukemia that is often a result of working with industrial chemicals. His mobility became restricted and he was no longer allowed to drive. As each new illness began to present in a physical or mental form, his family began to create a distance from him to where today, they seldom speak with him and never visit. Perhaps they are afraid that whatever happened to him is somehow contagious and they do not want any part of it. Now he only sees them when they are willing to make the effort.

The person who had a brain tumor recently lost a pet to an accident. She was sent a message that the dog died because "dope kills", referring to the medications that person has to take for her medical condition. Somehow, that translated into a statement that had the owner of the dog not been sick or having emotional problems that necessitated the taking of medications, she would have cared enough to keep the dog from running out into a roadway where it was hit by a car and killed. The fact that she had a brain tumor removed and subsequent damage to the brain itself, which created memory, comprehension, coordination disabilities, and depression, was never considered as being part of her problem.

The fact that this woman lost a supervisory job where she excelled in handling a large college computer service and the people she oversaw to do the work has nothing to do with her depression, at least, according to those around her. The details surrounding how her family lost their home because she was not able to work and to keep the mortgage and bills paid became a side issue. The fact that she loved her dog as though it was one of her children mattered next to nothing at all.

The family, who lost their house to a fire, lost much more than just a structure and the contents that were destroyed. They lost their home and the place that represented their safety and security from the world around them. The place that was always there, and even when they had to leave to do a chore or keep a doctor appointment, they knew it would be there when they returned. They lost all their mementos and other tokens that represented lifelong memories. They lost pets that were trapped inside, and then were told they needed to get rid of the pets they were able to save. Not only did circumstances beyond their control rob them of everything they owned, but other people also wanted to take away what little was left.

Even worse, they lost their sense of community. The neighbors who lived around them, the friends who used to visit, the people who waved whenever they passed by the home - all disappeared with barely a trace. Not a single person in the community offered to help them clean up the debris left from the fire. Not a single neighbor came by to see if they could help. Friends never came back because they said they did not know what to say or how to help. The simple fact of picking up trash, shoveling debris into buckets, or even bringing a plate of food apparently never crossed their mind. Those same people, who used to wave every time they went by, now look the other way, as though by doing so, they can pretend nothing ever happened to the family who continues to live there amid the ruins of their life.

Is it any wonder that the members of that family became reclusive or that each of the members suffered from the onset of depression - or worse? Does anyone believe that perhaps the fire contributed to the father suffering strokes and heart attacks afterwards? One member of the family is now under the care of a psychiatrist due to the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) and suffers from extreme panic and anxiety attacks on a daily basis. It fell on her shoulders to struggle to keep the family together, to clean up the disaster of the fire, to keep them fed and safe while living in a camper and later, an old donated mobile home that needs extensive repairs. Repairs that will never be completed because they are a low-income family and the government made the decision that the mobile home was too old to spend the money to make those needed repairs. If it were not for a few concerned family members, this family would have already given up.

Unfortunately, she is not allowed to deal with her personal health issues except in a cursory manner because she still has to take care of her family. She goes to the doctor and takes whatever pills are prescribed in order to cope with the every day issues involving her family unit. She talks to her therapist who agrees there is little more she can do. What happens if she suffers a major illness that causes her to be in a situation where she will not be able to take care of her family any longer - or what happens if she would die? Will there be anyone left within the immediate family that is able to take over where she left off or will they just split the family up because it is easier for them? These are the things the mother worries about each and every night when she has flashbacks about what happened at the time of the fire or nightmares she suffers over what new catastrophes may happen in the future.

The fact of the matter is that PSTD, anxiety, panic, depression and much more are the results of events that are catastrophic in nature. These medically accepted emotional illnesses are real. The pain is real. It affects the person involved, the family around them and the people they continue to deal with on a daily basis. These illnesses are not just mental illnesses that stand alone, but they also create or aggravate existing physical illnesses.

To pretend that nothing is wrong is probably the worse thing people can do to those who are suffering from these mental disorders. Love, support, and especially acceptance have to be a part of the daily interaction with someone who has suffered from a life-changing situation. To ignore the problem only makes the situation worse for those who are suffering. Family members and yes, even the community, need to learn more about what these mental illnesses are and the effects they cause. Only then, can the people involved, be it family, friends, or members of the community, work together towards recovery.

Resources:

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - MedicineNet.com

Depression - What is Depression? - National Institute of Mental Health

Coming to Terms with Mental Illness: Family and Friends