Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Diagnosis and Treatment
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a real disorder that can begin following a traumatic experience, whether a person has lived through a traumatic event or witnessed a life-threatening situation. These traumatic events may include a natural disaster such as a hurricane, war, terrorist incident, physical abuse, sexual assault or a major accident.
A person with PTSD may feel anxious or stressed even when they are not in danger, and triggering events may be unpredictable. When a person experiences symptoms of PTSD, their behavior may affect those around them. PTSD is highly treatable and there are many reasons to be hopeful that with treatment, the individual can enjoy a high quality of life.
RWJBarnabas Health's Behavioral Health services offer some of the best behavioral health care in New Jersey, services.
What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a health condition that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing something frightening or dangerous.
Imagine if your brain keeps replaying a scary movie that you can't turn off, and it feels as real as the first time. That's a bit like what happens with PTSD.
Normally, when something bad happens, our brains help us deal with it and move on. But with PTSD, the brain gets stuck. It sends signals that you are in danger even when you're safe. This can make you feel stressed, scared, or upset out of the blue, especially when something reminds you of the traumatic event.
People with post-traumatic stress disorder might have nightmares or flashbacks where it feels like the event is happening all over again. They might try to avoid places or things that remind them of what happened, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping. It is also common to have strong negative feelings about oneself or the world and feel detached or estranged from other people.
PTSD is not a sign of weakness, and it can happen to anyone who has gone through something traumatic. The good news is there are effective treatments available.
What Causes PTSD?
The roots of post-traumatic stress disorder intertwine like a complex puzzle pieced together after someone experiences a deeply distressing or terrifying event. It is the brain's way of reacting to situations that are too intense to process normally. Some of the primary triggers include:
- Direct experiences of fear. The most straightforward trigger is going through a frightening incident firsthand. This could range from surviving a car crash, weathering severe natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes, enduring violent assaults, or facing combat during military service. It's as though your mind captures a photograph of the ordeal, replaying it persistently.
- Witnessing trauma. At times, witnessing a horrific event affecting someone else, be it a close relation or a stranger, can spark PTSD.
- Hearing about a traumatic event. Learning about a grave incident that has impacted someone you care for, like a family member or a friend, can also lead to PTSD. The trauma is not just in what you see or endure; it extends to the shock and sorrow of knowing harm has come to someone important to you.
- Continuous exposure to trauma. For those whose occupations constantly expose them to traumatic scenes — like law enforcement, firefighting or emergency medical services — the relentless barrage of distressing experiences can lead to PTSD. It's as if the continual exposure gradually erodes the mind's resilience.
While our bodies and brains are designed to navigate through stress, offering a temporary state of heightened alertness or distress followed by a return to equilibrium, PTSD seems to lock the brain in a perpetual state of alert.
Trauma impacts everyone differently, and not all who face such events develop PTSD. PTSD is complex, but understanding its causes marks the initial step towards recovery.
PTSD Symptoms
After experiencing something traumatic or upsetting, feeling a whirlwind of emotions is normal. For some people, these feelings get intense and don't fade away like expected — they stick around or even get stronger. This can be a sign of PTSD. Here’s a quick look at what this might feel like:
- Distress. Feeling upset by things that remind you of the scary experience.
- Intense fear. Being very scared, even when you're safe.
- Nervousness. Feeling jittery, like you can't calm down.
- Helplessness. Feeling like there’s nothing you can do to change what happened or how you feel now.
- Irritability. Getting angry easily, more than before the scary event occurred.
- Shame or guilt. Blaming yourself for what happened or for being unable to move past these feelings.
These emotions are a common reaction right after something traumatic happens. But if you're dealing with PTSD, these feelings don’t just go away; they might become more intense, popping up out of nowhere and making it challenging to enjoy life or handle your day-to-day. You might start steering clear of places or people that remind you of the trauma, have a hard time sleeping, or feel like you're always on edge.
The thing to remember is that everyone's experience with PTSD is different. For some, these feelings start right after the trauma; for others, they might take months or even years to show up. The intensity and duration of these symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. Some might find it challenging for a few months, while for others, it could be a longer journey.
How Is PTSD Diagnosed?
Figuring out if someone has PTSD is not as simple as taking a test or just having a quick chat. It's a careful process that health care professionals take seriously, using their know-how and specific guidelines to make the right call. Here's a breakdown of how this process usually works:
- Conversation. The journey starts with a heart-to-heart talk with a health care professional, like a psychologist or psychiatrist. They'll want to hear all about what you've been through — the event, how you've felt since, and any significant changes in your life or feelings.
- Checking your symptoms. The symptoms of PTSD are organized into different categories, including experiencing the trauma again through flashbacks or nightmares, steering clear of anything that reminds you of the trauma, experiencing shifts in your thinking and mood, such as feeling disconnected from others or blaming yourself, and noticing alterations in your physical and emotional responses, such as being quick to startle or finding it hard to sleep.
- Life impact. It's not enough to just have the symptoms; they must also be tough enough to mess with your daily life. This might mean problems at work, trouble in your relationships, or not enjoying the things you used to love.
- Following the guidelines. Health care professionals use specific criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) by the American Psychiatric Association.
Being open and honest with a health care professional during this process is critical. The more they know, the better they can help. Remember, reaching out for help is a sign of strength, and it's the first step to healing.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment
Navigating the path to recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder involves harnessing a variety of tools and resources tailored to each individual's experiences and symptoms. Thankfully, PTSD is a condition that can be treated effectively.
A cornerstone of PTSD treatment, therapy offers a safe space to understand, confront, and work through traumatic experiences. Among the most impactful therapeutic methods are:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Prolonged exposure (PE) therapy
- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)
- Medication therapy
- Self-care practices
- Educational resources
Recovery from PTSD is a personal journey unique to each individual. What proves effective for one person may differ for another, necessitating a period of exploration to find the most fitting combination of treatments.
Collaborating closely with experienced health care professionals can guide this journey, ensuring a supportive pathway to recovery.
Sympathetic PTSD Care and Support
At RWJBarnabas Health, we recognize that everyone affected by post-traumatic stress disorder brings a unique background, set of experiences and needs to their treatment journey.
Our PTSD care services are dedicated to acknowledging the individuality of each person we serve. We take a holistic approach, evaluating the mental, physical and emotional aspects of our patients' health to develop personalized, comprehensive care plans. Our goal is to offer supportive, effective treatment that respects the experiences and challenges of those living with PTSD, guiding them toward healing and improved quality of life.
For information about how to access help or a referral to a specialist for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, contact the RWJBarnabas Health Behavioral Health Access Center at 1-800-300-0628.