All about PTSD: Facts you need to know

Post-traumatic stress disorder is found in people that have suffered a significant traumatic event in the past. According to National Alliance on Mental Illnesses (NAMI), PTSD affects 3.6% of the U.S. adult population—about 9 million individuals. Traumatic event can be described as anything ranging from childhood bullying, rape, child abuse, war, law enforcement, or any other terrifying or violent event.

Everyone is unique in their ability to process and deal with trauma; what is traumatic to one person may not be to another. It can develop immediately after someone experiences a disturbing event, or it can occur weeks, months or even years later.

PTSD is a serious disorder that increases the likelihood of suicide or intentional self-harm.

Exposure to one or more traumatic events can change how we view the world and what constitutes right and wrong; distorting our sense of  the past and present; where the past can intrude into the present at any time in unpredictable and distressing ways.

“PTSD is a whole-body tragedy, an integral human event of enormous proportions with massive repercussions.”

-Susan Pease Banitt

Over the course of a lifetime, the odds of suffering from PTSD are roughly 1 in 12. PTSD is quite common, but its severity can vary dramatically.

The 10 Most Common Symptoms of PTSD

PTSD is a common and serious psychiatric condition with several common symptoms, such as:

1.         Overly intense negative feelings associated with a past traumatic event. It’s natural to squirm a little bit when you relive bad experiences in your mind. However, we’re talking about something on a totally different level with PTSD.

●          The negative feelings are very intense. This is the type of fear and discomfort that can alter your day-to-day life leading to distorted beliefs about oneself or others, blaming self or others; ongoing fear, horror, anger, guilt or shame; much less interest in activities previously enjoyed; feeling detached or estranged from others; or being unable to experience joy or content.

2.         Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event such as avoiding people, places, activities, objects and situations that may recreate these memories. People may try to avoid remembering, talking or thinking about the traumatic event or how they feel about it.

3.         Difficulty creating or maintaining relationships. Relationships can be especially challenging for those with PTSD. PTSD sufferers tend to keep their struggles to themselves, but their pain is often obvious to others. There is a disconnection from other people.

4.         Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts and nightmares that feel like the event is happening all over again. Not everyone with PTSD has flashbacks, but they aren’t uncommon. Flashbacks have been described as a dream that happens while you’re awake. They can be extremely vivid and can even include olfactory and auditory hallucinations, too.

Intrusive thoughts such as repeated, involuntary memories or distressing dreams of the traumatic event that may feel like you are re-living the traumatic experience or seeing it before your eyes.

Recurring nightmares about the traumatic event where at times the content of the dream can be unrelated to the original event.

5.         Lack of interest in normally pleasurable activities. For example, a person who loved to play golf, checkers, or watch romantic comedies, but can’t enjoy them after suffering a traumatic event, might have PTSD.

6.         Hypervigilance. Imagine walking down a dark alley in a bad part of town, late at night. You’d be hypervigilant. That’s a normal reaction, but if you’re hypervigilant while watching TV on the couch in your own home, you might be dealing with PTSD.

7.         Guilt or shame. PTSD sufferers often feel guilt or shame for surviving a traumatic event that left others dead or seriously hurt. Soldiers and law enforcement officers often feel guilt or shame for people they may have had to harm in the line of duty.

9.         Self-destructive behavior. Substance abuse, self-harming, and other self-destructive behaviors occur with high frequency in those with PTSD. Reckless behavior can be a sign of PTSD.

10.       Difficulty concentrating. As you can imagine, all of these symptoms can make concentration very challenging. PTSD sufferers often complain of issues with focus and concentration.

Help for those who suffer from PTSD

Anyone suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder knows how debilitating and uncomfortable it can be. While many people with PTSD require professional treatment, there is still a lot you can do on your own to mitigate your symptoms and move toward good mental health.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a serious matter, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t steps you can take outside of a clinical setting to speed your healing.

 Meditation, taking part in creative activities, staying busy, and setting limits are just a few of the ways you can make life easier for yourself.

Get professional help, if necessary, but take responsibility to do what you can to help yourself.

These strategies can help you heal your PTSD:

1. Engage your creative mind. Studies have shown that engaging in creative activities can help with PTSD. Using your brain to create something new is a powerful process that requires using your brain in unusual ways. This seems to be soothing to those with PTSD. Consider these ideas:
   
   
   1. Painting
   1. Drawing
   1. Sculpture
   1. Inventing
   1. Composing music
   1. Creative writing
   1. These are just a few examples.
      
      
2. Communicate your needs with your social circle. If you don’t like to be touched, let people know. That’s better than sitting home alone to ensure that no one touches you. If you want to avoid certain topics, let everyone around you know that
   
   Letting others know your limits will reduce your anxiety as well as that of everyone else in your social circle.

3. Relax your body regularly. A relaxed body will help your mind to relax, too. There are many ways to do this, such as self-hypnosis, progressive muscle relaxation, sauna, hot tub, and guided meditation. Experiment and find the most effective and convenient way to relax your body each day.
4. Consider acquiring a service animal. For some people, there’s nothing more relaxing than a dog or other type of animal. They don’t pity you, ask annoying questions, or judge you in any way. They just love you. Anyone, whether they have PTSD or not, could benefit from the right pet.
   
   
5. Meditate. Meditation is a powerful treatment for PTSD for several reasons: It teaches you how to focus, how your mind works, and allows you to explore thoughts and ideas in a controlled and distraction-free environment.
   
   Meditation requires practice, but it’s a very simple process. Like having a service animal, everyone benefits from meditation.
   
   
6. Be present. When dealing with a flashback or highly disturbing thoughts, stay present with your environment. Focus on where you are. What can you see? Hear? Smell? Feel? Keep your mind in the present moment.
   
   
   1. This is also a useful tool for staying focused. When your attention wanders, bring it back to your environment.
      
      
7. Avoid ruminating. Rumination is just a bad habit in general. Instead of sitting around thinking about the past, future, or other made up scenarios, get busy and do something instead.
   
   
   1. Get out of the house. Mop the kitchen. Mow the grass. Watch a movie. The activity doesn’t matter, as long as you keep your mind active and avoid thinking excessively.
      
      
8. Find the right therapist. Find a therapist that has a lot of experience in dealing with PTSD. It’s also important to find a therapist that you feel comfortable with. Some therapists might have the right skills and experience but be a poor fit.
   It might require interviewing a few therapists to find the right one for you. Many mental health professionals provide free consultations. Take advantage of them.

Developing compassion for yourself and getting the treatment you need can help you to manage symptoms of PTSD.

Any of the following treatment options may be recommended:

The trauma-focused psychotherapies with the strongest evidence are:

1. Watchful waiting – monitoring your symptoms to see whether they improve or get worse without treatment.
2. Psychological therapies – such as:
3. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT):  Teaches you to reframe negative thoughts about the trauma. It involves talking with your provider about your negative thoughts and doing short writing assignments.
4.  Eye movement desensitization:  Helps you process and make sense of your trauma. It involves calling the trauma to mind while paying attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound (like a finger waving side to side, a light, or a tone).
5. Prolonged Exposure (PE): Teaches you how to gain control by facing your negative feelings. It involves talking about your trauma with a provider and doing some of the things you have avoided since the trauma.
6. Reprocessing (EMDR)
7. Antidepressants – such as paroxetine or mirtazapine

Know where to get help:

National Center for PTSD:

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/awareness/ptsd_treatment_works.asp

Police and Veteran Toolkit:

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/care/toolkits/police/

Make the Connection:

https://www.maketheconnection.net/

ResponderStrong – A resource for Police Officers and FireFighters

https://you.responderstrong.org/

Copline – A 24 Hr Confidential Call with Retired Cops.

https://www.copline.org/ 1-800-267-5463

Crisis Text Line: A text will connect you with a trained crisis counselor, 24/7.

https://www.crisistextline.org or text BADGE to 741741

If you or someone you know needs helps now, you should immediately call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or call 911.