Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

It is normal to have feelings of fear, anger, stress or guilt during and after experiencing a traumatic event. Nearly everyone experiences a variety of reactions when it comes to trauma; however, most people recover from these reactions naturally. People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) continue to suffer the aftershock of a traumatic event and often feel like anguish will never end.

PTSD is a serious mental health condition, or mental illness, and anxiety disorder that develops in people after personally experiencing or witnessing a scary, shocking or terrifying event (traumatic event). People can also develop PTSD after learning that a close friend or family member experienced a traumatic event. This condition is not uncommon, as roughly 3.5% of adults in the U.S. are affected by PTSD each year, and nearly one in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD at one point in their life.

People with post-traumatic stress may endure lasting consequences that can involve intense fear or stress even when they’re not in any danger. Relationships, work life and social interactions can all be negatively impacted by the effects of PTSD – but with the right treatment, symptoms can be managed.

There are two forms of post-traumatic stress disorder: chronic and acute. Acute stress disorder is a form of PTSD that develops shortly after experiencing a traumatic event but symptoms last less than a month. People with acute stress disorder are likely to develop PTSD. Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), on the other hand, is a chronic mental health condition that can last for months or years following a trauma.

PTSD signs and symptoms

Post-traumatic stress disorder can involve a variety of signs and symptoms. Not every person with PTSD will experience the same things, but PTSD signs and symptoms generally land in one of the following four categories:

Signs of PTSD

• Reexperiencing the event: This can involve upsetting dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event, recurring distressing memories of the event, flashbacks, hallucinations or anxious reactions to things that remind you of the trauma.
• Hyperarousal: Hyperarousal signs are usually more consistent and can include difficulty falling or staying asleep, being easily startled or on edge, feeling angry or irritable, having paranoia or having trouble concentrating.

Symptoms of PTSD

• Avoidance: Things that remind you of a traumatic event can cause symptoms of avoidance, often leading to changes in your personal routine. Avoidance can include pulling back from close emotional contact with family and friends, staying away from people or places that remind you of the event, experiencing loss of memory, or having feelings of detachment or emotional numbness.
• Negative thoughts and feelings: When this happens, you can have trouble remembering parts of the event or thoughts about what caused the event to happen. You may also experience negative beliefs about yourself, others and the world as well as overall negative feelings such as anger, guilt, shame or sadness. It’s common for people with PTSD to also lose interest in activities.

Post-traumatic stress disorder signs and symptoms are not just mental – they can be physical too, such as:

• Stomach and digestive problems
• Chest pain
• Headaches
• Dizziness

People with PTSD can also fall into alcohol abuse and drug addiction in attempts to numb their feelings or avoid thinking about their trauma. PTSD symptoms and intensity can change over time. Increased stress or encountering a reminder of a traumatic event, such as a news report about a similar experience, can heighten PTSD symptoms. Related places, objects and words can also trigger an increase in symptoms.

Risk factors of PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder can develop in people of all ages and have a serious impact on mental health. You may be more at risk of developing PTSD if you have family members who suffer from PTSD, stress disorders or other trauma disorders. There are additional factors that can increase the chance you may develop PTSD – in fact, it’s estimated that one in every three people who’ve experienced a traumatic event is affected by PTSD.

Members of the armed forces, medical responders or people with any dangerous profession are at a higher risk of PTSD due to increased exposure to potentially dangerous and traumatic situations.

Some kinds of traumatic events that can cause PTSD include:

• Childhood abuse and neglect
• Physical assault
• Sexual assault
• Witnessing or participating in combat
• Witnessing someone else being hurt or killed
• Facing a threat of violence or harm, including natural disasters or car crashes
• Having little to no support after a traumatic event

The risk that you develop PTSD can increase if you face additional stress after a traumatic event such as pain and injury, the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a home or job. Having certain mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders or depression, can also put you at greater risk for PTSD.

Treatment for PTSD

If you or a loved one is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, Advocate Health Care is here to offer compassionate care with our experienced behavioral health team. PTSD treatment may include a combination of counseling, psychotherapy treatments and medication.

Psychotherapy treatment

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): This is a kind of talk therapy that helps you identify patterns of negative or distorted thinking that may be holding you back. Some examples of distorted thinking include unpleasant thoughts about yourself, constantly expecting negative outcomes and overgeneralizing bad outcomes. The goal of cognitive-behavioral therapy is to be able to more clearly understand those challenging situations and be able to respond to them in an effective way.
• Exposure therapy: Exposure therapy utilizes techniques to help you confront your fears. The process is gradual and meant for you to feel safe as you work to address potentially triggering or frightening situations or memories. Over time, the exposures can help decrease your anxiety, reduce the avoidance of certain things and increase your overall quality of life.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): Used in combination with exposure therapy, EMDR helps you process a traumatic event though trauma exposure while simultaneously having your eyes follow a guided external stimulus. When you get help through EMDR, it can increase healing and improve the way you react to traumatic memories and events.

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