After the loss of a loved one, grief can become overwhelming. A flood of memories, emotions, and even a sense of inner numbness often accompany grief – a fragility combo they may have never felt before. For some people, these feelings of sadness may venture beyond grief and grow into something more complicated – post-traumatic stress disorder (better known by its acronym – PTSD).
This article will explore how PTSD in surviving family members can manifest, especially when a loved one passes under traumatic circumstances. We’ll also discuss the crucial importance of recognizing and responding to the signs of PTSD, empowering you with the knowledge to support your loved ones and make informed decisions.
What is PTSD?
PTSD is a mental health condition. It sometimes manifests when people experience a life-threatening or traumatic event. Constant emotional and physical symptoms that make daily life less bearable and meaningful often characterize grief.
Those with PTSD might find themselves reliving distressing memories, avoiding reminders of the trauma, or even experiencing physical symptoms, such as changes in thyroid function (a study by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences on combat veterans with PTSD found a link between the disorder and altered thyroid hormone levels).
Now, while PTSD is often associated with military personnel (most notable: Vietnam veterans), it is also prevalent among civilians, and this includes family members who have lost a loved one under traumatic or what feels like quick and unexpected circumstances. These circumstances could range from a sudden accident, such as a car crash, to a violent crime like a robbery or assault, or a natural disaster like a hurricane or earthquake.
Understanding Surviving Family Members
When we refer to surviving family members, we are talking about those left behind after the passing of a loved one. The impact of this loss can be particularly intense if the death was sudden, violent, or in some way traumatic.
For family caregivers who devote considerable time and energy to senior care, the grief process is sometimes even more severe, especially if the caregiver is responsible for an aging loved one and has faced the emotional toll of managing their final days. Hospice programs can help to alleviate these burdens and provide beneficial bereavement support to family caregivers after their loved one passes.
Without support like hospice care, the burdens of caring for a loved one can feel extremely heavy. Later, surviving family members can often feel a profound sense of emptiness, which can only make them vulnerable to developing PTSD.
Is PTSD common among surviving Family members?
PTSD may not affect every individual who loses a loved one. However, as previously noted, the risk increases significantly when the loss is unexpected or traumatic.
Several state treatment centers have developed specialized programs for addressing PTSD, such as Trauma Therapy, which involves processing the traumatic event in a safe environment; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helps change negative thought patterns; medication management, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), which focuses on managing intense emotions.
Mental health counselors, hospice social workers and bereavement counselors often provide information, referrals and support when PTSD is present among survivors.
Five common signs of PTSD in Surviving Family Members
Recognizing the signs of PTSD can be a crucial step toward healing; it can help you figure out whether you or your loved one might need professional help. Surviving family members experiencing PTSD might display symptoms that can vary widely, both in intensity and duration.
Depression/Anxiety
One of the most common symptoms is persistent depression or anxiety. Grief occurs throughout the bereavement process, but when it intensifies into feelings of sheer hopelessness, despair, or intense fear about what’s ahead, it may indicate PTSD-related depression. Surviving family members might also struggle with intense feelings of anxiety. These feelings might “inspire” them to withdraw from social activities they used to enjoy. That’s problematic – isolation can only worsen their mental state.
Avoidance Behavior
Surviving family members with PTSD might avoid events, locations, or people that remind them of their loved one’s death. This behavior often leads to an aversion to previously meaningful activities, some of which have formed their daily routine. Here’s an example: if a family caregiver had spent countless hours providing senior care to an aging loved one, they might suddenly feel the urge to avoid senior care facilities or hospitals (that’s where memories of their loved one are most vivid and therefore – painful).
Survivor’s Guilt
Survivor’s guilt includes negative self-talk and self-blame. It is another symptom of PTSD that mental health professionals frequently see. Many surviving family members experience irrational guilt; they feel that there is much more that they could have done to stop their loved one from dying.
Sleep Difficulties
People with PTSD often struggle with sleepless nights and panic attacks or nightmares. Tossing and turning all night is frequently reported. They wake up abruptly and repeatedly, so it feels impossible to rest fully. This lack of sleep leads to both physical and emotional exhaustion, health concerns and mental breakdowns.
Inner Numbness
Finally, numbness or indifference are sometimes defense mechanisms. PTSD can make it challenging to connect with other people, even family and close friends. Numbness is protective, but it also prevents survivors from experiencing positive emotions.
Responding to Signs of PTSD
When you recognize the signs of PTSD, there are several things you can do to improve the situation. First and foremost, seek professional mental health support. Therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are researched and proven to be very effective in treating PTSD.
Mental health professionals can provide a safe space to process the trauma, offer coping strategies, and monitor progress. Helping family members seek support from these professionals aids in recovery. Mental health care offers reassurance and hope in the healing journey.
Recovery Through Social Engagement
Encourage participation in group therapies or bereavement support groups, as this offers a sense of community. For family caregivers who have spent a lot of time supporting an aging loved one, these groups can help shift their focus to self-care and allow them to reconnect with their own needs instead of lurking inside a vicious circle of shame and guilt.
This social engagement is crucial; it’s a beacon of hope in the recovery journey, reminding us that we are not alone in our struggles.
Conclusion
The loss of a loved one is never easy, especially loss coupled with trauma. If PTSD develops, recognizing the signs in the early stage makes a difference.
This single step helps us to empathize and respond with compassion and care, reassuring the survivors that they are not alone in their journey and that support is available.
Salus provides bereavement support for our hospice families coping with loss. Contact us for more information.
