Trauma & Stress-Related Disorders

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. While it's normal to have temporary difficulty adjusting after trauma, PTSD involves symptoms that persist for months or years, significantly impacting daily functioning and quality of life.

Symptoms

Intrusive memories: flashbacks, nightmares, severe distress at reminders

Avoidance: avoiding places, people, or activities that remind of the trauma

Negative changes in thinking/mood: hopelessness, memory problems, emotional numbness, detachment

Changes in physical/emotional reactions: being easily startled, trouble sleeping, irritability, self-destructive behavior, difficulty concentrating, hypervigilance

Causes

Direct experience of traumatic events (combat, assault, accidents, natural disasters)
Witnessing trauma happening to others
Learning about traumatic events affecting close family/friends
Repeated exposure to disturbing details of trauma (first responders)
Pre-existing mental health conditions increase vulnerability
Lack of social support after trauma

Diagnosis

Symptoms must persist for more than 1 month and cause significant distress or impairment. Assessment includes detailed trauma history, symptom evaluation using standardized scales (PCL-5, CAPS-5), and ruling out other conditions. Symptoms must include at least one from each category: intrusion, avoidance, negative cognitions/mood, and arousal/reactivity.

Treatment Options

Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Cognitive Processing Therapy

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

SSRIs: Sertraline, Paroxetine (FDA-approved for PTSD)

Prazosin for PTSD-related nightmares

Group therapy with other trauma survivors

Mindfulness-based stress reduction

When to Seek Help

Seek help if you have disturbing thoughts or flashbacks for more than a month after a traumatic event, if symptoms are getting worse over time, if you're using alcohol or drugs to cope, or if trauma symptoms are affecting your work, relationships, or daily activities.

Your Action Plan

1.Step 1: Understand that what you're experiencing is a normal response to an abnormal event — your brain is stuck in protection mode

2.Step 2: Seek trauma-specialized therapy — look for therapists trained in CPT, PE, or EMDR specifically

3.Step 3: Know that treatment WORKS — PTSD is one of the most treatable conditions in psychiatry when the right therapy is used

4.Step 4: Practice grounding techniques daily: 5-4-3-2-1 (5 things you see, 4 you touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste)

5.Step 5: Establish safety routines: consistent daily schedule, safe sleeping environment, trusted support contacts

6.Step 6: Avoid avoidance — the natural urge to avoid trauma reminders maintains PTSD. Gradual, supported exposure is the treatment

7.Step 7: Consider medication: SSRIs can reduce overall symptom intensity while therapy works on root causes

8.Step 8: For nightmares specifically: Prazosin is remarkably effective and can provide immediate relief

9.Step 9: Limit alcohol and drugs — they provide temporary escape but worsen PTSD long-term and prevent processing

10.Step 10: Be patient with recovery — healing from trauma is not linear. Bad days don't erase progress