An admission to ICU can be very traumatic. It is often unplanned and takes place under very stressful circumstances for both the patient and their family.
Some people will understandably feel an increase in anxiety and distress during or after their admission to ICU.
For many people post ICU (patients and their family members), initial post-traumatic stress symptoms will gradually improve over time, and often, reoccurring nightmares will become less frequent, and intense feelings of anxiety and panic will also lessen.
However, some people notice that these new challenges do not get better, and for some people, they may even get worse as time goes on, or occur many months after the ICU admission. Some patients and family members will develop Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following an ICU admission. Symptoms of PTSD can include frequent flashbacks or re-occurring nightmares of the events, increased anxiety, panic attacks, hypervigilance, increased tearfulness, irritability, and sleep disturbance. PTSD symptoms can impact on many activities of daily living a well as relationships with family and friends. It is estimated that about 1 in 10 patients who have had an ICU admission develop PTSD.
It is important to speak to someone about PTSD. If symptoms persist and impact on mood, sleep, relationships, and the ability to carry out everyday tasks, then often, professional support is needed to treat PTSD. There are several treatments for PTSD and trauma symptoms that have a good evidence base, including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), TF-CBT (trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy), and TA-ACT (trauma-focused acceptance and commitment therapy).
If you are concerned about yourself or a member of your family and you would like to receive support in relation to post-ICU PTSD, please contact the Recovery after Critical Illness (RaCi) service. We may be able to provide support through ICU Psychology or refer you on to other NHS services that offer PTSD treatment.