National PTSD Awareness Month: What is PTSD and How Can You Treat It?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition caused by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event or series of events. June is National PTSD Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the events that can cause PTSD, the effects, and how to treat it and continue living unimpeded. PTSD affects countless individuals who have experienced traumatic events, which can occur across all walks of life. While PTSD symptoms often emerge within a month or so of the trauma, it's important to understand they can sometimes appear months or even years later. Some people experience fluctuating symptoms, with periods of improvement followed by worsening, while others face constant, severe challenges. Regardless, this June, it’s important to take the time to better understand what PTSD looks like, how it can manifest, and how to effectively combat it.

What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

PTSD is the effect caused by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. These aren’t limited to physically-harmful or life-threatening events and can include natural disasters, medical illnesses, domestic violence, or serious accidents. PTSD doesn’t discriminate either; it can occur to anyone, for any traumatic experience. A car crash can cause PTSD just like experiencing war can cause it in soldiers. It manifests differently in everyone, but there are tell-tale signs that signify someone is currently experiencing PTSD. 

How to Identify Signs of PTSD

PTSD manifests through a variety of symptoms, which include:

• Intrusion: Intrusive thoughts such as repeated memories, distressing dreams, or flashbacks of traumatic events plague the victim. Some of these flashbacks can be so intense that it feels like the victim is reliving the scene again, causing bouts of fear and panic. These memories can be triggered by some form of stimulus or may even be spontaneous. 

• Avoidance: Some people suffering from PTSD may begin avoiding areas, people, objects, activities, or situations that could trigger distressing memories. Someone undergoing PTSD due to a car crash may begin to avoid driving in vehicles or being around them in general, as the sight or experience of being in one could resurface those memories. They may also resist talking about the traumatic event or how they feel about it. Often this avoidance leads to dysfunction in their life. 

• Cognition and Mood: A sudden onset of depressive symptoms may be indicative of PTSD. If someone suddenly experiences sad feelings, an inability to feel happiness, and a lack of interest in activities or people they used to enjoy, they may be experiencing a PTSD episode. They may also have memory troubles, such as remembering details around the event or believing people they could previously trust are no longer trustworthy. They may even blame themselves for the event, causing a complete social withdrawal as they mentally spiral. 

• Arousal and reactivity: Many individuals suffering from PTSD describe being easily irritated and having angry outbursts, behaving recklessly or self-destructively, and being overly watchful of their surroundings as though trouble is around every corner. They may be easily startled and even have problems concentrating or sleeping. 

Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

For some, signs and symptoms of PTSD disappear over time, while for others, they endure these difficulties every day. Every experience is different, as are the outcomes, so treatment varies from person to person. Some may seek out those they are close with to provide some form of therapy and bring them out of their depressive state, while others may need more serious measures to alleviate their trauma. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one method of treating PTSD that involves therapy focused on changing thoughts and beliefs around the trauma. Negative emotions like shame or guilt and negative beliefs such as believing they’ve failed someone or that the world is a dangerous place are slowly handled and adjusted. The therapist also confronts the troubling emotions and memories at their root to ensure the PTSD is addressed at the source, while the lingering feelings around it are corrected over time.

Medication can be used in some cases to help individuals return to a state of normalcy while they undergo therapy if their symptoms are strong enough. Depending on the mental state and trauma, medication may be required for extended periods of time, while others may only need it temporarily. Either way, victims should consult a medical professional and their therapist to determine the right treatment for their situation.

We Are Always With You

Trauma can happen to anyone, for any reason. It’s important to understand what causes it and the effects it has on you so that if you are suffering from PTSD, you can seek the help you need. For first responders, Missouri has an in-depth site to help find the support you need for any incident. Those suffering from PTSD in the general public can reach out to a 24/7 suicide and crisis hotline at 988 or reach out to the National PTSD Crisis Center for more help. Those of us at Black Jack Fire Protection District understand the struggles that PTSD can cause and are always here to lend an ear or a helping hand if it becomes too difficult. You aren’t alone in this fight; let’s combat this together.