BeDo

Experts in the UK have warned that a mental health disorder only recently recognised in the UK can often be mistaken for other conditions.

Post Traumatic Embitterment Disorder (PTED) is similar in some ways to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but is not the same thing, the National Health Executive reports.

According to the report, PTED consists of the sense of deep embitterment an individual can suffer after a serious traumatic incident, such as a job loss, divorce or major fall-out with friends. While its existence has been largely unacknowledged in the UK until recently, it is recognised in the US and some European countries. Symptoms include remorse, anger, frustration and helplessness.

Those attending wellbeing workshops may recognise these symptoms, and identifying them as PTED rather than PTSD may be an important first step in working through the issue.

Christine Pratt, Founder of The National bullying Helpline, said the problem of PTED was often compounded by it being described as ‘work-related stress,’ something she said was “vague and unhelpful”.

She added: “The embittered mind does not compromise. The embittered mind blames others for causing their ill health. Effective PTED therapy is about coaching and retraining the mind.”

This can be helped by cognitive behavioural therapy, which can help people capture and redirect negative thoughts.

PTED began being identified and discussed in the US several years ago. For example, in 2014 Mediate.com produced a two-part series on workplace violence in which it discussed the condition as something that could arise from bullying and workplace stress.

At that time, Mediate.com stated, the condition was not widely recognised in the US, but had been in Germany. That article, like the latest piece by the National Health Executive, credited work by researchers like German psychologist Dr Michael Linden, such as a study published in 2009, for identifying the condition.