Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. Children, teens, and adults can all experience PTSD. In recent history, this mental health condition has been known by many names, such as “shell shock” during World War I and “combat fatigue” after World War II, however, PTSD doesn’t only affect veterans. Anyone, at any age, can develop PTSD following a traumatic event. However, those who experience events involving deliberate harm such as a physical or sexual assault, or who have had repeated traumatic experiences throughout their life, such as childhood abuse, domestic violence, or living in a war zone, are at greater risk

Although most people who experience a traumatic event often have severe reactions that may include anger, shock, nervousness, fear and guilt, those experiencing PTSD have their symptoms linger for over a month and aren’t able to function as well as before the triggering event occurred. This distinction differentiates PTSD from trauma and helps determine a clinical PTSD diagnosis. Even though the symptoms of PTSD can surface within a month of the traumatic event, sometimes they don’t appear until years after. 

PTSD symptoms often coexist with other conditions such as substance use disorders, depression and anxiety, so it can sometimes be challenging to understand whether or not someone is suffering from PTSD. A comprehensive medical evaluation with an individualized treatment plan laid out by a professional is the best way to move forward, but it’s imperative to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of PTSD so you can best understand the condition. There are also PTSD assessments that can help you get started.

Types of symptoms

Post-traumatic stress disorder can present with a range of symptoms or behaviors that generally fall into four categories. 

• Intrusion: Intrusion occurs when something reminds you of the trauma and you feel that initial fear again. Examples include: flashbacks, nightmares, vivid, unpleasant memories of the event, and intense mental or physical distress when you think about the event.
• Avoidance: Those who experience avoidance try to circumvent situations or people that trigger memories of what is causing the distress. For example, if the traumatic event was a car accident, that person might stop driving. Additionally, those who experience avoidance try to avoid thoughts or feelings related to the cause. They might make themselves overly busy to avoid thinking about what happened and their feelings. One can also experience avoidance by feeling emotionally numb or cut off from their feelings in general daily life.
• Arousal and reactivity: These symptoms can include feeling on edge, being easily startled, irritability, angry outbursts, and reckless, self-destructive behavior.
• Cognition and mood: PTSD doesn’t always show itself in nightmares and outbursts, sometimes it appears in mood changes completely unrelated to the cause of the PTSD. A person can suddenly have negative thoughts about themselves or the world in general, distorted feelings of guilt and blame, or loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable to the individual. They may have a hard time remembering the original traumatic events and feel increasingly detached from others as well as their emotions. 

Although it is natural to have some of these symptoms for a few weeks after a traumatic event, it’s when the symptoms above last longer, and seriously affect a person’s ability to function, that are indicative of PTSD and may be a sign to consult a mental health professional about.

PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, or after a prolonged traumatic experience. This can include a wide range of traumatic events, but not all people who experience traumatic events will develop PTSD. 

What’s the difference between PTSD and trauma? According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a person must have been exposed to “actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence” in order to be diagnosed with PTSD. Other than that, there is no formal definition for whether something is traumatic enough to cause PTSD. It depends on the person’s interpretation of the event and how long the symptoms last.

So, what makes one person susceptible to PTSD while another person who experienced the same trauma is able to move on over time? There are a number of risk factors that make someone more likely to develop PTSD. For example, if someone suffered from depression or anxiety before the trauma, they may be more likely to experience PTSD. Additionally, if you have a lack of support from family or friends, you may be more prone to developing PTSD. 

Research also shows that there may be a genetic factor involved in PTSD. In a large PTSD genetic study, scientists from University of California San Diego School of Medicine, along with over 130 additional institutions who participated in the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, have found that PTSD has a strong genetic component similar to other psychiatric disorders. The conclusion of the study is that genetics accounts for 5-20% of the variability in PTSD risk following a traumatic event. While more research still needs to be done, the study shows that people with these genes are at a higher potential risk for developing PTSD after traumatic events. However, PTSD is like other mental illnesses and can affect anyone, regardless of their background.

Although it is natural to have some of these symptoms for a few weeks after a traumatic event, it’s when the symptoms above last longer, and seriously affect a person’s ability to function, that are indicative of PTSD and may be a sign to consult a mental health professional about. Diagnosis is done with a licensed mental health care provider.