Is What You’re Feeling PTSD? What To Do To Help

If you’re wondering if you or a loved one might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there are a few important things to know. One of the most important things to know is that treatment is available. Decades of clinical research have taught us what is likely to help someone with PTSD. It is a treatable condition.

What leads to PTSD?

The next important thing to know is that PTSD only occurs after certain types of events. These events involve actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Examples include events such as: earthquakes, assaults, combat experiences, car accidents, sexual assaults, near drownings, muggings, kidnappings, and shootings. This is not a complete list, as there may be other events that lead to PTSD.

Some events often have a significant impact on people for months and years, but would not be considered the type of traumatic events that lead to PTSD. Examples would include losing a job, being verbally abused, losing a loved one to natural causes, or losing a pet. These and other events can have a profound impact, to be sure, but they wouldn’t normally lead to PTSD.

How to know if you might have PTSD

If you have experienced an event related to sexual violence or actual or threatened death more than a month ago and are experiencing some of the following symptoms, you may want to seek an evaluation for PTSD:

• Nightmares
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Feeling on guard or nervous, more so than before the event
• Avoid things that remind you of the event.
• Increased use of alcohol or marijuana
• Intrusive memories of the event.
• Avoid thinking about the event.
• Strong physical reactions to situations or things that remind you of the event
• Changes in your thinking or worldview since the event
• trouble concentrating
• reckless behavior

If you experience some of the above symptoms less than a month after the event, you technically cannot have PTSD. In that situation, it may still be prudent to see a mental health professional, especially if the symptoms don’t go away over the weeks.

Trauma Doesn’t Always Lead to PTSD

Most of the time, someone who experiences a traumatic event as defined above will not develop PTSD despite the difficulties inherent in the experience. So if you’ve been through a very difficult experience, don’t assume you need professional help. Rather, ask yourself, has your reaction to this experience triggered any of the symptoms listed above? Has it significantly interfered with your relationships, work, or school work? Has it damaged your ability to meet your responsibilities in life? If so, seeing a professional may be helpful.

Who has PTSD?

It is impossible to predict with certainty who will develop PTSD after a traumatic event and who will not. However, some factors make people more likely to develop PTSD. These include:

• Previous anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions
• Increased severity of trauma
• Trauma involving assault
• History of previous traumatic events.
• Female gender
• History of life stressors in childhood or adulthood.
• low IQ
• Lack of social support after the traumatic event

This last point contains a useful lesson in case you have recently experienced a very stressful event: seek social support. Is there someone in your life with whom you would feel comfortable talking about what happened? Anyone likely to answer in a helpful way? If so, it may be helpful to talk to them; it might even reduce your risk of developing PTSD. You don’t have to tell them every aspect of what happened (unless you want to, of course), but knowing that they are there for you can be a big help.

find help

Fortunately, the effects of trauma are well understood at this point. PTSD is typically not a permanent condition, and, in fact, it responds well to specific types of treatment. The most effective treatments for PTSD are specific forms of psychotherapy, although medication can sometimes play a helpful role as well. Different types of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in particular, are primary treatments for PTSD.

If you are not sure whether or not you have PTSD, consider getting an evaluation from a qualified mental health professional. You can check the ADAA.org therapist directory or try the therapist directory at abct.org.