PTSD

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that occurs in people after a traumatic, shocking, or dangerous event. People who suffer from this condition could have experienced or even just witnessed the event. Examples of events could include being in a car crash, experiencing a natural disaster, seeing other people hurt or killed, or being abused.

Symptoms

The symptoms of PTSD can usually be grouped into four different categories: intrusion, avoidance, alterations in cognition and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity.

The first group of symptoms are intrusion symptoms. These symptoms are usually intrusive thoughts or memories and are triggered by words, objects, situations, or other reminders. They can be flashbacks of the traumatic event. Another example could be dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event. These intrusive thoughts and memories can lead to people feeling severe emotional distress because it can seem like they are reliving the traumatic experience.

The second group of symptoms are avoidance symptoms. These symptoms include trying to avoid people, places, activities, objects, and situations that could trigger memories about the traumatic event. These symptoms can lead someone to keep their emotions bottled up and instead, avoid talking or even thinking about the event. These symptoms may also cause people to change their daily routines in order to avoid situations that would trigger flashbacks about the traumatic event.

The third group of symptoms are alterations in cognition and mood symptoms. These symptoms are about negative changes in the thinking and mood of a person: feeling negatively about yourself, other people, or the world; memory problems, particularly with remembering important aspects of the traumatic event; feeling emotionally numb and unable to experience positive emotions; less interest in activities previously enjoyed; feeling detached from family and friends.

The last group of symptoms are alterations in arousal and reactivity symptoms. These symptoms are about changes in physical and emotional reactions to situations. For example, someone could be easily startled, feel constantly on edge or tense, have difficulty concentrating, have trouble with falling or staying asleep, being irritable and having angry outburst, and engagE in self-destructive behavior.

Types/Treatment

There are five different types of PTSD including normal stress response, acute stress disorder, uncomplicated PTSD, complex PTSD, and comorbid PTSD. Each type of PTSD is treated in a different way.

The first type of PTSD is a normal stress response which usually occurs before PTSD. However, people with normal stress response don’t always develop PTSD - it depends on how and if the individual seeks help. Normal stress responses can result from events that lead to great amounts of tension and stress. For example, this could be events like accidents, injuries, or illnesses. Normal stress responses are common and can be treated with the support of loved ones and individual or group therapy sessions.

The second type of PTSD is acute stress disorder which also occurs before PTSD. But similarly to normal stress response, this condition may or may not develop into PTSD, depending on how and if the individual seeks help. Usually, acute stress disorder lasts for a month but when it exceeds a month, it can be considered PTSD. This type of disorder commonly occurs in people who experience or witness what is or what feels like a life-threatening event. For example, this could include a natural disaster or loss of a loved one. Acute stress disorder can be treated through individual and group therapy as well as medication.

The third type of PTSD is uncomplicated PTSD. This disorder is related to one signIficant traumatic event, instead of multiple minor events. For example, events could include a car accident or natural disaster. This type of PTSD is the easiest form of PTSD to treat and can be treated through individual and group therapy as well as medication.

The fourth type of PTSD is complex PTSD. This disorder is the complete opposite of uncomplicated PTSD. Instead of just one, complex PTSD is caused by many traumatic events. Most people with this disorder are victims of abuse, domestic violence, or war. Complex PTSD is also commonly diagnosed with borderline personality and antisocial personality disorder. Compared to uncomplicated PTSD, complex PTSD is treated more intensely through psychotherapies like Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy. Cognitive Processing Therapy occurs throughout 12 sessions where an individual learns how to evaluate and change their negative thoughts due to trauma. As a result, this changes how the individual feels about the event they have experienced. Prolonged Exposure Therapy is when an individual confronts their fears, instead of hiding from them. So, this therapy allows an individual to understand their memories and feelings related to trauma. By participating in activities that an individual has been avoiding due to traumatic events, a person can decrease avoidance symptoms.

The last type of PTSD is comorbid PTSD. This disorder is different from other types of PTSD because it is applicable when an individual has more than one mental health condition, along with PTSD. People with this disorder usually also suffer from substance use issues. Examples of conditions associated with PTSD are anxiety and depression. Comorbid PTSD is best treated when the comorbid condition and PTSD are treated at the same time.

Stigma

There are many misconceptions surrounding PTSD as it was first discovered during World War I. This is why many people still believe that PTSD only effects veterans, even though it can happen to anyone. People may believe that because you have PTSD, you are ‘living in the past’ and need to ‘get over it.’ But in these situations, it is important to remember if you have PTSD, you are not alone and there are millions of people that suffer from this condition.