Treating Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Have You Lived Through a Traumatic Event?

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often thought of as something military veterans deal with, but in actuality, people from all walks of life can suffer from PTSD. Anyone who has lived through a traumatic event, such as a car crash, abusive relationship, or mass shooting can experience PTSD.

The symptoms of PTSD include feelings of anxiety and fear similar to what you may have felt when the original traumatic event occurred. Certain triggers can force the mind to relive the event through flashbacks, which can make you feel fearful and detached from your surroundings. Thankfully, behavioral health practices have come a long way in treating patients with PTSD, with treatment focused on helping provide symptom relief of PTSD.

Symptoms of PTSD

There are two types of PTSD, PTSD and complex PTSD. Complex PTSD is different from PTSD because it affects people who were exposed to traumatic events in childhood for an extended period of time. For example, someone who experienced years of early childhood trauma with emotionally and physically abusive parents may develop complex PTSD, rather than PTSD.

Here are some signs to look out for with PTSD:

  • Reliving a traumatic event
  • Dreaming about the event
  • Feeling distress when reminded of the event
  • Frequently conjuring images or thoughts related to the event even when you don’t want to
  • Feeling as though you are in danger even when you aren’t
  • Avoiding situations or stimuli that remind you of the event
  • Avoiding thinking or speaking about the event at all costs
  • Inability to recall important events from the trauma
  • Avoiding any activities or people that remind you of the trauma
  • Fear that something bad will happen soon in the future
  • Feelings of detachment from others
  • Heightened senses
  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Increased irritability
  • Easily startled
  • A pervasive need to remain aware of your surroundings at all times
  • Mood and cognition symptoms
  • Feeling guilt, shame, fear, or anger
  • Self blame
  • Negative beliefs about oneself, others, or world
  • Difficulty remembering details of the trauma
  • Difficulty experiencing positive emotions