Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An Overview

Post-traumatic stress disorder, more commonly referred to as PTSD, is a mental health condition that can be triggered by witnessing or directly experiencing a horrifying and disruptive event. Such events include, but are not limited to, sexual abuse, natural disasters, physical violence, martial combat, medical calamities, and motor vehicle accidents. Individuals who fall victim to PTSD will oftentimes experience a notable decline in both their mental and physical health. Fortunately, there is a variety of treatment options that can alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of PTSD and improve one's quality of life.

Common Symptoms of PTSD

  • Recurrent and disquieting memories or dreams of the traumatic event
  • Flashbacks (feeling as if the past traumatic event is occurring during present time)
  • Persistent avoidance of anything that may act as a reminder of the traumatic event
  • Inability to recall a crucial detail of the traumatic event 
  • Consistent self-hatred or negative beliefs regarding oneself 
  • Continuous feelings of fear, anger, guilt, irritability or horror
  • Feelings of loneliness or detachment from others
  • Inability to experience positive emotions, such as love and happiness
  • Hypervigilant of one's surroundings
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Insomnia
  • Self-destructive behavior 

The Science Behind PTSD

PTSD is notorious for wreaking havoc on the brain's stress circuitry, which includes the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus. The amygdala is responsible for controlling the brains emotional responses. Unfortunately, individuals who have been diagnosed with PTSD have a hyperactive amygdala, meaning they have a heightened fear response and oftentimes experience extreme anxiety in everyday situations. The purpose of the prefrontal cortex is to dampen the amygdala's response to perceived threats, but it becomes underactive in cases of PTSD. The amygdala therefore continues to send our fear and stress signals with little to no regulation. PTSD also shrinks the hippocampus, which is the portion of the brain responsible for overcoming one's fear responses. As a result, those who struggle with PTSD struggle to tame their panic and unease. The combination of a hyperactive amygdala, an underactive prefrontal cortex, and a shrunken hippocampus results in persistent and severe anxiety that feels impossible to overcome. 

Treatment for PTSD

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

⁃ Dissecting certain feelings and behaviors

⁃ Addressing persistent and harmful symptoms

⁃ Focusing on changing problematic behaviors that negatively impacts one's ability to function 

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

⁃ Focuses on transforming obstructive beliefs surrounding trauma

Prolonged Exposure (PE)

⁃ Gradually reflecting upon memories surrounding traumatizing events

⁃ Learning that the memories are not dangerous or life-threatening

Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

⁃ Utilizing psychedelic drugs to process distressing emotions surrounding trauma

Medications

⁃ Four different medications have been proven to suppress PTSD symptoms

⁃ Sertraline, Paroxetine, Fluoxetine and Venlafaxine

Meditation 

⁃ Meditation can reduce stress hormones by calming the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the "fight-or-flight response." Furthermore, meditation has been proven to relieve the debilitating symptoms of PTSD without the use of medication.

 

 

Common Questions Regarding PTSD

How common is PTSD?

⁃ Approximately 3% of the adult population suffers from PTSD at one point in their life. 50% of rape survivors suffer from PTSD, as do 10% to 30% of    war veterans. In addition, women are twice as likely as men to experience PTSD. 

Is PTSD preventable?

⁃ PTSD is not considered to be preventable, for traumatic experiences oftentimes occur without warning. However, working with a therapist or psychiatrist can teach individual's how to manage and cope with future traumatic events. 

How fast do symptoms of PTSD onset after a traumatic event?

⁃ Symptoms of PTSD usually arise within three months of a traumatic event, but sometimes, they take years to onset. There is no set time period as to when an individual may begin to experience symptoms. 

Is PTSD a permanent diagnosis?

⁃ The permanence of PTSD depends on the individual. Some overcome PTSD within six months, while others take much longer. It could become a chronic condition if not treated.

What is the diagnosis process for PTSD?

⁃ An individual must experience symptoms of PTSD for over a month in order to be diagnosed. In addition, these symptoms must affect one's ability to function in their everyday life in order to be deemed the product of PTSD. 

⁃ Some events of life can feel incredibly depressing, such as losing a beloved pet or learning a family member is fatally ill with cancer. However, these events oftentimes do not trigger PTSD. In order to be diagnosed with PTSD, an individual must directly witness or be a victim of threatened death, sexual abuse, significant injury or physical violence. 

Can PTSD effect one's physical health?

⁃ PTSD is detrimental to one's mental health, but it also has physical effects, including somatoform, cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and immunological disorders. In addition, it negatively impacts one's financial stability, which may prevent them from receiving treatment.

What makes people more vulnerable or more resistant to PTSD?

⁃ Not everyone develops PTSD after experiencing trauma. However, there are risk factors that make some people more susceptible to PTSD than others. These factors include financial insecurity, additional mental health complications, and previous experiences with traumatic incidents. If an individual is familiar with any of these issues, they may struggle to cope with trauma in a healthy manner and inevitably develop PTSD. 

⁃ It is difficult to be completely resistant to PTSD, for as stated before, traumatic events arise without warning. However, there are certain therapies that can help an individual become more resilient to certain traumatic occurrences. Stress-inoculation therapy, for example, utilizes various audio and imagery simulations to help an individual adjust to experiencing difficult events. This practice allows them to develop a set of coping mechanisms that can potentially be used when in the face of real-life trauma, which may prevent future onset of PTSD. 

How can I help someone who has been diagnosed with PTSD?

⁃ It is crucial to not pressure an individual who struggles with PTSD to "talk about it." Sometimes, people need time to sit with their trauma and digest it themselves. However, let them know that you are there to listen, whenever they are ready. Take into consideration any of their potential triggers but treat them as you usually would. You do not have to be somber and serious at all times, for playfulness and a sense of humor can aid a survivor in their healing process.