This month, 62-year-old comedian Kathy Griffin went to tik tak to tell her fans that she was diagnosed with “complex post-traumatic stress disorder” – post-traumatic stress disorder.

“If any of you know my story, you will understand that it really started for me about 5 and a half years ago. Wink,” she said, apparently referring to it, when she posted a photo of herself holding a bloodied copy of the former president. Donald Trump’s head in 2017.

Griffin received a major backlash for the episode, which hurt her both professionally and personally. She was fired from hosting CNNNew Year’s show with Anderson Cooper. The Secret Service investigated her and put her on the “No Fly List” for several months. “I haven’t been able to get on TV for years,” she said. She stopped leaving the house for several months and self-medicated with anti-anxiety drugs.

On June 25, 2020, she overdosed and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. She was diagnosed with stage I lung cancer in 2021, which “didn’t help,” she noted.

Griffin often experiences panic attacks and anxiety. On Instagram she wrote: “For the past year and a half, I have been plagued by terrible panic attacks. Sometimes they last several hours or more often, they last at least a whole day, if not several days in a row. I feel stupid even telling you this because I always thought PTSD was just for veterans and all. During my attacks, I usually feel quite nauseous and often have to go to the emergency room to get intravenous fluids.”

Although Griffin did not say how she is currently being treated, she said she intends to try eye movement desensitization and processing (EMDR) therapy.

PTSD

According to American Psychiatric Association (APA), post-traumatic stress disorder is defined as “a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events, or set of circumstances. The individual may perceive it as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening and may affect mental, physical, social and/or spiritual well-being. Examples include natural disasters, major accidents, terrorist attacks, war/combat, rape/sexual assault, historical trauma, intimate partner violence, and bullying.”

Anyone can develop PTSD, regardless of age, race, gender or culture, although women are more susceptible than men, according to the APA. It is estimated that PTSD affects about 3.5% of US adults each year, and about one in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime.

Personal factors such as previous trauma, age, and gender can influence whether a person develops PTSD. What happens after the traumatic event is also important. Stress can make PTSD more likely and social support less likely.

Signs and symptoms

When exposed to a traumatic event, most people experience short-term symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic. However, most of them do not develop chronic symptoms, i.e. post-traumatic stress disorder. Traumatic events do not always involve dangerous situations, and can also include the sudden death of a loved one, stalking or verbal abuse, or work where you often see other people get hurt or die (such as emergency services). Symptoms usually appear within 3 months of the traumatic event, but for some, symptoms do not appear until years later.

To be diagnosed with PTSD, symptoms must last more than a month and be severe enough to interfere with relationships or work.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a patient must have all of the following symptoms:

• At least one symptom of re-experiencing, including flashbacks, bad dreams, or frightening thoughts.
• At least one symptom of avoidance, such as avoiding places, events, or objects that are reminiscent of the traumatic experience, or avoiding thoughts or feelings associated with the traumatic event.
• At least two symptoms of arousal and reactivity, including mild arousal, feeling tense or “nervous”, difficulty sleeping, or outbursts of anger that make daily tasks difficult.
• At least two cognitive and affective symptoms, including trouble remembering the traumatic event, negative thoughts about self or the world, distorted feelings such as guilt or guilt, or loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities.

Treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder

Both trauma-focused psychotherapy (counseling or talking therapy) and drug treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder have been proven to work. Sometimes people combine psychotherapy and medication.

Trauma focused psychotherapy

Trauma-focused psychotherapy is the most recommended treatment for PTSD. “Trauma-oriented” means that treatment focuses on the memory of the traumatic event or its meaning. According to the APA, the three most effective types of trauma-focused psychotherapy are:

• Cognitive processing therapy that teaches patients to understand how trauma has changed their thoughts and feelings.
• Long exposure therapy that uses repetitive descriptions of trauma in a safe environment to help the patient deal with their feelings and take control of their feelings.
• EMDR, which helps the patient process trauma memory and uses eye movements similar to REM sleep.
• Group therapy, in which patients with similar traumatic experiences share their experiences with each other.

Medications for PTSD

Medications may be effective for treating symptoms of PTSD, including some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.

Michelle R. Berman, MD, pediatrician turned medical journalist. She has trained at Johns Hopkins University, Washington University in St. Louis, and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Her mission is both journalistic and educational: to report on common diseases that affect extraordinary people and to summarize the evidence-based medicine behind the headlines.

Meast of us strive for a life in which we feel we have real choices about how we spend our time and energy. But we’re confused about this pursuit – confused about exactly where we’re going. Self-care has become an integral part of our lives. From cleansing juices to yoga workshops, we sell snacks in pastel-colored packages. It’s artificial self-care, but we’re made to feel guilty when they don’t work. But we are not broken: the game is against us.

Well-being research is divided into two theories about how to live a good life: the hedonic approach and the eudaimonic approach. Hedonistic well-being focuses on feelings of happiness and pleasure. In many ways, fake self-care — dieting, cleansing, retreats, hacks — aligns with this, focusing on what’s good in the moment and avoiding difficult situations. Don’t get me wrong – we all need to escape from time to time, and being able to do so is a privilege. But eudaimonic well-being, in contrast, focuses on actions that are in line with our values; it is the feeling that our lives are violated with purpose. Instead of prioritizing pleasure, he emphasizes personal growth, self-acceptance, and connection to meaning. This has been linked to improved sleep, increased life expectancy, and reduced levels of inflammation. All the good things we’re looking for, right?

Cultivating eudaimonic well-being is not easy. It looks different to everyone because achieving it depends on our personal beliefs and values. For some people, this means giving up on fitness goals and volunteering for the weekend. For others, it may mean moving into a career that aligns with their values. But what is similar for most people is that each person does what is important to them and understands the meaning of how they spend their time. It is much more than any wellness center, it is real self-care.

Of course, the million-dollar question is how to distinguish true self-care—the methods that lead us to eudaimonic well-being—from mechanisms for overcoming false self-care. At its core, true self-care is ultimately about making decisions. You must be persistent in prioritizing your own needs and desires. To do this, you must learn to say no and set boundaries. Balance the needs of those close to you, such as your partner’s preferences or the needs of your children, with your own. You must learn to stop giving in to the guilt that is inevitable. The next step is to take an honest look at what you need (and want) and allow yourself to have it. It is the process of getting to know yourself, including your core values, beliefs, and desires. It is an internal decision-making process that requires introspection, honesty and perseverance.

You will realize that you are doing real self-care when you feel that your external data matches your internal ones. True self-care, in which you look within yourself and make decisions in terms of reflection and reflection, is a statement of power. It means having the audacity to say, “I exist and I matter.”

Real Self Care: Powerful Practices to Nourish Yourself From Within Pooja Lakshmin (Cornerstone Press) Out Now

Twenty-one bodies have been found on land belonging to a pastor in coastal Kenya who was arrested for ordering his followers to fast to death.

Malindi County Police Chief John Kemboi said more shallow graves have yet to be dug on land belonging to Pastor Paul McKenzie, who was arrested April 14 on charges of sectarian ties.

Four more people have died after they and others were found starving at Good News International Church.

The police have asked the court to allow them to hold Mackenzie longer as the investigation into the deaths of his followers continues.

On a tip from members of the public, police searched the pastor’s property in Malindi, where they found 15 malnourished people, including four who later died. Followers said they were fasting at the direction of the pastor to meet Jesus.

Police were told that dozens of shallow graves were scattered around McKenzie Farm, and excavation began on Friday.

Mackenzie has been on a hunger strike for the past four days while in police custody.

The pastor has already been arrested twice, in 2019 and in March of this year, in the case of the death of children. Each time he was released on bail, and both cases are still pending in court.

Local politicians called on the court not to release him this time, condemning the spread of sects in the Malindi area.

Cults are common in Kenya, which is dominated by a religious society.