Over 700,000 people in the UK suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) yet, a top psychologist has argued many of these are not receiving the support and treatment they need.
Dr Jennifer Wild of the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London argues less than half of those that suffer from PTSD seek help or treatment for the disorder. Further, those that do often wait months or even years before doing so because they do not recognise the symptoms, are unsure who to approach, or are ashamed of not being able to cope with the condition themselves.
Dr Wild went on to say that even where sufferers do approach their GP for support “surveys show that many GPs are not very familiar with PTSD or the best way to treat it”.
Because many of the symptoms associated with PTSD overlap with other conditions – such as depression – sufferers can be misdiagnosed and offered the wrong form of treatment. Symptoms – such as problems sleeping – can also appear to be the source of the problem leading to treatment and medicines being prescribed which deal with the symptom but do little to resolve the underlying PTSD condition.
Dr Wild said: “When GPs hear their patients talking about sleep problems or feeling low, they should also ask if the patient has been through a traumatic event. Then they need to ask about the classic symptoms of PTSD”.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include:
If you have been diagnosed with PTSD or believe you may be suffering with some or all of the above symptoms, Holmes & Hills Solicitors has a team of specialist personal injury lawyers offering free initial legal advice and representation to those wishing to make a clam for PTSD compensation.
Our specialist solicitors will tell you:
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