6 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Treatment Options

Everyday life can quickly get overtaken by extreme events that alter how you perceive the world, yourself, and your relationships. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is sometimes referred to as combat stress, shell shock, or Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction, can be one of the results of experiencing an extreme life event that one finds overwhelming.

PTSD is an emotional and psychological response to an experience of extreme events that overtake or overwhelm a person’s ability to cope. We all have limits to what we can take and cope with. When that limit is exceeded, one of the possible results is PTSD, which can alter a person’s life in significant ways.

Some Causes of PTSD

As the name implies, PTSD is about what happens after a person has experienced trauma or a traumatic event. Many kinds of experiences can be traumatic, and that can then result in PTSD. Trauma can come in various forms, and a person can then develop PTSD after experiences such as a physical or sexual assault, exposure to war, or military combat situations.

Possible experiences that can cause PTSD:

• Being involved in a serious accident, a life-threatening workplace injury, or a vehicle collision
• Witnessing violence, the sudden death, or a protracted serious illness of a loved one
• Childhood neglect or abuse
• Being involved in a natural disaster like an earthquake, wildfire, or flood

These and other kinds of experiences can result in trauma. Trauma may also result from hearing about these events or caring for people involved in such traumatic events. That is one reason why first responders and people in caring professions experience what is known as secondary or vicarious trauma. Empathetic individuals who are exposed to others’ trauma may find themselves feeling traumatized.

Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD. Why is this? There are several factors that are at play. One reason is that a person’s emotional resilience influences their ability to cope with the trauma. If a person had prior mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression, that also influences the outcome of whether trauma develops into PTSD.

If a person has strong support networks, including friends, family, one’s faith community, and even coworkers, they may cope better with traumatic events. A person’s spiritual well-being can also be a factor in how they process and cope with emotionally overwhelming situations and experiences.

In addition to the above, genetic and biological factors, such as a person’s brain chemistry, can play a role in how they respond to challenging circumstances such as trauma. Lastly, the number and intensity of traumatic events that one experiences can influence whether they develop PTSD. Even if one is emotionally resilient, facing repeated trauma can overwhelm those defenses and the ability to bounce back.

Experiencing PTSD and developing the lasting symptoms of trauma is not a reflection or a sign of personal weakness. People process trauma in different ways, and they have a wide variety of resources at their disposal to deal with trauma. Some people process their trauma and recover more quickly than others. Others may carry emotional wounds that take longer to heal and will require focused professional intervention to be overcome.

Signs and Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

When a person experiences trauma, they respond to it in their own, unique way. PTSD manifests in various ways, but it typically disrupts a person’s mental, emotional, and even spiritual health. Some of the more common signs of PTSD include the following:

Heightened arousal

One common result of trauma is heightened arousal, which includes feeling irritable, being hypervigilant, and feeling on edge, which can sometimes result in struggling to concentrate. Sights, certain sounds, and even smells can trigger thoughts of the traumatic event, startling or even frightening you.

Sleep disturbances

Sleep is often troubled after experiencing trauma and when PTSD sets in. This could look like struggling to fall or stay asleep, and experiencing nightmares, often related to the traumatic event.

Flashbacks and intrusive memories or thoughts

A distressing symptom of trauma and PTSD is being forced to relive the traumatic event involuntarily. Unbidden thoughts, flashbacks, and intrusive memories that take you right back to the experience are some of the ways you’re reminded, rather painfully, of what you went through.

Negative changes in mood, thinking, and behavior

Another symptom of PTSD is experiencing and feeling guilt, persistent fear, and feelings of hopelessness. Trauma can rob a person of their sense of safety, their sense of self, and their purpose. When these feelings linger, they can be quite debilitating.

Avoidance behaviors

In the aftermath of a trauma, one of the signs of being overwhelmed and struggling to cope includes steering clear of any reminders of the trauma. This could be avoiding certain places, people, or situations that are reminiscent of or connected to the trauma. This can severely limit movements and the ability to function in daily life.

Physical symptoms

PTSD can also affect a person’s physical well-being, including experiences like fatigue and headaches. Spiritually, PTSD may affect one’s ability to pray, fellowship with others, and experience the Lord’s peace.

When a person experiences trauma and develops PTSD, the symptoms that they experience affect not only their daily life. It also affects other aspects of themselves, including their relationships and sense of safety. It’s not uncommon for a person who experiences trauma to feel like they’ve lost pieces of themselves and like they need to rebuild their self-understanding.

PTSD can result in withdrawing from loved ones, which deprives them of their support network at a time when they need it most. PTSD can strain marriages and friendships, and it can negatively affect family dynamics. Withdrawal, emotional numbness, or irritability and anger can shut loved ones out and leave them feeling shut out. The symptoms that often accompany PTSD may also lead to struggles at work or in one’s studies.

With time, the symptoms of PTSD can lead to a buildup of stress, which affects physical, emotional, and spiritual health, as well as adding to the feelings of despair and isolation.

Healing and Recovery From PTSD

PTSD can affect every aspect of a person’s life, from their work, relationships, and even how they perceive themselves. It’s not easy to deal with, but it is possible to discover a place where PTSD doesn’t define who you are and how you live your life. It takes time and effort, but recovery and healing from trauma and from post-traumatic stress disorder is possible.

Recovering and healing from PTSD will require professional support and support from loved ones. It will also require patience, prayer, and self-compassion. Healing from PTSD is a gradual journey back to a sense of safety, of peace, and being able to face the world confidently again.

The approaches that can facilitate healing and recovery from PTSD include the following:

Support groups: Talking with other people who have experienced trauma and PTSD can help you place your own experiences in perspective, as well as see how others have progressed on their journey. Support groups can be safe spaces to share your concerns and struggles, as well as to find prayer and other forms of support.

Medication: When the signs and symptoms of PTSD are severe enough to disrupt daily living, a medical professional may recommend and prescribe medication. The medication will address your symptoms, and ought to be taken under the supervision of your prescribing doctor.

Counseling and therapy: Some counselors and therapists specialize in helping people affected by trauma. Various effective therapies can address trauma, such as trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. These can help strengthen resilience and build a healthy self-understanding as well as nurture healthy behaviors that promote well-being.

With help from your counselor or therapist, you can work through trauma and PTSD, finding your way toward healing, wholeness, and a renewed sense of safety. To connect with a therapist, call this office or a counselor near you.