Recognizing and healing trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with people who have experienced a life-threatening event in the military, like combat. However, PTSD is not exclusive to combat trauma. Understanding this is important because a wide range of situations can contribute to its development.

Since one half of all U.S. adults will experience at least one traumatic event in their lives, it's not uncommon for individuals to experience some immediate symptoms in response to a significant stressor.

However, PTSD refers to symptoms that last over one month from a significant negative life event and cause distress in a person’s ability to work, go to school or interact socially. In addition to combat, traumatic events can be related to events such as being in a car accident, experiencing a natural disaster, being involved in a violent personal assault, experiencing abuse as a child, or witnessing a shooting.

According to Kathryn Spaventa-Vancil, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital who specializes in trauma and PTSD recovery, the human brain gets rewired after exposure to a traumatic event.

“Our amygdala, or our brain’s smoke alarm, can continue to perceive situations as dangerous long after exposure to a trauma, resulting in physical symptoms, such as feeling hypervigilant or tense,” she says. “For many, a single traumatic event can be treated as a random circumstance. However, it is estimated that just under 7% of individuals will go on to develop PTSD symptoms.” 
 
Symptoms of PTSD

PTSD can manifest months to years after a traumatic experience and can even be triggered by a completely unrelated event.

“PTSD symptoms can be far-reaching — impacting thoughts, physical sensations, emotions and behaviors,” says Dr. Spaventa-Vancil. “Therefore, PTSD can affect sleep and also contribute to feelings of isolation, hopelessness and irritability.”

Common PTSD symptoms include:

• Experiencing an intensity of emotions — from feelings of rage to numbness or feeling out of your body

• Intrusive memories of past traumatic events while awake or sleeping

• Sense of impending doom and excessive worry for ourselves and those we love

• Need to be on alert and ever vigilant, with a high startle response

• Increase in isolation behaviors and high disinterest in large gatherings of people

• Increase in emotional and physical fatigue

• Disinterest in previously enjoyed activities

• Difficulty with memory and concentration

• Feeling a lack of identity outside of the trauma or sense of purpose

• Chronic pain, stress and autoimmune disease symptoms

• Thoughts of ending one’s life to stop the pain

“PTSD symptoms can lead someone to often be in a fight, flight or freeze response state,” says Dr. Spaventa-Vancil. “This ongoing stress response takes a toll on the body.” 
 
How to get help for PTSD

There are numerous evidence-based treatments that can help treat and heal symptoms of PTSD, says Dr. Spaventa-Vancil. Understanding the condition and treatment options can help with making an informed decision and increase the chances of a strong recovery.

“Talking to a professional can help you both understand your symptoms and know what your options are for treating them,” she says. “Knowledge can also lead to validation of what you are experiencing, versus feeling like you are all alone in your experience.” 
 
Treatments for PTSD

Therapy is typically the first step in treating PTSD, which helps develop coping mechanisms and process negative experiences. There are various forms, including cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps a person target unhelpful thoughts and feelings linked to a traumatic experience and replace them with healthier ones. Learning skills to manage the wide range of PTSD symptoms is essential.

“The most effective treatment is therapy combined with medication to fully manage the symptoms a person is experiencing in terms of body and mind. With proper treatment, healing is absolutely possible,” she says. 
 
If you or someone you know is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, Sharp Mesa Vista can help. Learn more about Sharp Mesa Vista’s trauma and PTSD recovery program, which offers evidence-based integrative recovery services in a structured setting, or call 858-836-8434.