Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition in which the trauma from a devastating event adversely affects an individual’s day-to-day life. The primary difference between a reaction to a traumatic event and PTSD is that in the latter condition, the trauma interferes with everyday functioning and lasts for prolonged periods, possibly resulting in depression, binge eating, etc. This article provides insights into post-traumatic stress disorder, its triggers, symptoms, and treatment options.

Symptoms of PTSD

Intrusive flashbacks and recollections
Individuals with PTSD typically experience intrusive flashbacks of the traumatic event, often replaying it repeatedly and reacting strongly to environmental stimuli that remind them of the incident.

Recurring nightmares
One may experience recurrent nightmares pertaining to the trauma, often causing disturbed sleep patterns.

Avoidance
Individuals grappling with PTSD may often avoid dealing with situations, people, and activities that remind them of the trauma. Coming across such stimuli may trigger strong emotional reactions, causing them to consciously escape these situations.

Changes in moods and reactions
PTSD causes one to be perpetually on guard, get startled or triggered easily, and experience severe mood swings and outbursts. Children with the condition may even re-enact the incident while playing.

Emotional detachment and loss of hope
PTSD may cause people to detach from their loved ones and experience severe loss of hope, leading to depression and other mental health conditions.

Common PTSD triggers

Childhood trauma
Individuals with a history of childhood abuse and those having faced childhood neglect can meet the criteria for PTSD diagnosis. Such individuals may experience recurrent nightmares concerning the incident and develop coping strategies like denial and dissociation during stress. Shame and guilt are common negative emotions accompanied by PTSD caused due to childhood trauma.

Assault
Survivors of sexual assault undergo extreme distress following the incident; a range of emotions, such as anger, guilt, anxiety, and shame, are associated with the traumatic experience. Some physiological symptoms of PTSD among sexual assault survivors include body aches, headaches, and insomnia, whereas the psychological symptoms are intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance, and problems with concentration.

Terrorist attacks
Studies have observed that approximately 28%-35% of individuals who were victims of terrorist attacks experienced or were susceptible to PTSD.

Natural disasters
Survivors of a natural disaster are approximately 30%-40% more likely to suffer from PTSD than those not exposed to such an event. Moreover, those affected by community disaster trauma are highly susceptible to displaying PTSD symptoms.

Combat exposure
Exposure to combat situations is associated with reduced cortical thickness. Further, neuroimaging studies have linked reduced cortical thickness with PTSD. The violence and bloodshed involved in combat can have lasting effects on army personnel, leading to several mental health issues.

Psychotherapies and treatments

Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on recognizing unhealthy thought patterns, which, in turn, help bring about the necessary behavioral changes. For instance, a psychologist incorporating CBT may help the client challenge their beliefs pertaining to the possibility of the trauma reoccurring.

Cognitive processing therapy
Cognitive processing therapy is very similar to CBT; however, it is used extensively for PTSD and trauma. Here, clients are asked to recount the traumatic incident in detail in writing, after which the therapist helps them come up with ways to cope with it effectively.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
Also called EMDR, this intervention involves clients remembering their traumatic experience while observing a certain movement – like eye movements – facilitated by the therapist. The therapy focuses on changing the way in which the traumatic memory is stored in the brain, thus reducing PTSD symptoms.

Prolonged exposure therapy
PET involves exposing clients to specific aspects of the traumatic event that they have been avoiding. For instance, therapists may record clients reflecting on the traumatic incident during therapy and ask them to listen to the recording later.

Stress inoculation training
Stress inoculation training is about teaching clients coping strategies to deal with trauma rather than delving into the happenings. It is a practical approach to being mindful and focusing on the next steps as opposed to being held back by the past.

Aside from these, some therapies focus on helping one heal from trauma by giving individuals a more creative outlet to express themselves.

Art therapy
Art therapy is a form of intervention focusing on creative forms of expression, such as drawing, painting, sculpting, and coloring, to heal from mental health conditions. Since many individuals suffering from PTSD experience symptoms like avoidance, creative expression provides them with a positive outlet. Moreover, art therapy sessions usually revolve around themes such as creating collages of images symbolizing strength and courage, which helps clients reflect on coping strategies to overcome their traumas.