What Is PTSD?
Discusses the causes of PTSD, traumatic events, and symptoms of PTSD.
PTSD stands for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and as the name suggests, a person who has faced a traumatic event responds with a high level of stress that can pervade and disrupt everyday functioning, relationships, and mood. Some might be asking, well, what constitutes trauma, and why is stress such a bad thing to merit the category of a disorder?
What constitute ‘traumatic events?’
To begin with, almost everyone in the US has experienced a traumatic event in their lifetimes, about 90% (Kilpatrick, et al., 2013). A traumatic event could include a car accident, bullying, neglect, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, sexism. But the distinction with the traumatic events that are covered by the term PTSD includes
“exposure to serious physical injury, sexual violence, threatened death, and the sudden or violent death of another person. Car accidents, physical assault, rape, military combat, and natural disasters qualify as traumatic events” (Joy & Turk, 2018).
Importantly, one need not directly experience the traumatic event to be affected by them. In other words, even hearing details of a traumatic event can cause someone to have a traumatic response. In addition, the reason an event becomes traumatic has as much or more to do with injurious ways we learn to think of ourselves and the world because of the event, rather than the horrific nature of the event (Maté, 2022).
Does everyone who experiences a traumatic event have PTSD?
It is very possible that people who have experienced trauma don’t ever develop PTSD symptoms. For some people, symptoms show up within a month of the traumatic event, in other situations the symptoms take years to manifest (Mayo Clinic, n.d.). In addition, there are many people who have processed the traumatic event, for whatever reason, that allows them to integrate the trauma, not in a way to mean that the trauma has been forgotten. Rather, the person has come to a point of acceptance about what happened to them, has empathized with response to the horror of the situation, and has decreased bodily the stress from the traumatic event. In other cases, the memory of the trauma pervades daily functioning, and takes over the body’s resting state, causing constant alertness, agitation, anger, difficulty sleeping.
So, what is meant by ‘stress?’
According to Van der Kolk (2015), when someone experiences a threat, the brain sends signals to the body that alert the fight, hide or flight response which produces an enormous amount of stress. When the threat is gone, sometimes the body stays on high alert. This is a hormonal and electrical state that impacts the entire nervous system and keeps it from “settling” or being calm even in safe situations.
What are the symptoms of PTSD?
Changes in mood. This could be anger, recklessness, sadness.
Changes in cognition. This could be forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, self-blame for the event, blanking out parts of the traumatic event, detachment from others, negative beliefs such as “I will always be in danger.”
Arousal. Jumpiness, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, angry outbursts, being in a state of constant alert.
Constant intrusive memories of the traumatic incident.
Nightmares about the event, flashbacks, or leaving one’s body so to speak.
Re-experiencing the traumatic event, as though the event were taking place again.
Avoidance symptoms such as trying to avoid objects, people, or places that remind them of the traumatic event.
Healing PTSD
As clinical as these symptoms sound, one must always remember that no one is ever at fault for damage that others have done to them. To reiterate Van der Kolk, trauma is horror. Even though we can list symptoms, we must acknowledge that the threat to one's integrity is an existential injury that goes into the depths of the soul. To heal from this life-shattering event, it truly takes trust in one’s own sense of being able to keep safe. This happens when the environment can guarantee safety. Further, when a person who has experienced trauma can find ways to connect with themselves, have empathy for their own suffering, and can listen to their own bodies and thoughts in a safe place they can build loving relationships towards the self and towards others.
Resources
Joy, E.E., & Turk, C.L. (2018). The Diagnosis and Treatment of Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders. Continuing Education Article for Free State Social Work, LLC.
Kilpatrick, D. G., Resnick, H. S., Milanak, M. E., Miller, M. W., Keyes, M. K., & Friedman, M. J. (2013). National estimates of exposure to traumatic events and PTSD prevalence using Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 26(5), 537–547. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21848.National
Maté, G. (2022). The Myth of Normal. Avery.
Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Adjustment disorders. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adjustment-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20355224
Van der Kolk, B. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.