Probably most people have heard of PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, often associated with active military and Veterans who have experienced combat. But trauma can happen to anyone, in any stressful or abusive situation, and trauma disorders develop when the person is unable to process the experience and move past it.
Traumatic experiences can be overt – war, abuse, assault, rape, forced relocation, direct experience of a natural disaster, terrorism, etc. Traumatic experiences can also be subtle – microaggressions (racist, homophobic, or sexist comments or gestures), gaslighting, verbal or emotional abuse, and more.
It does little good to compare the “size” of traumatic experiences. People have different sensitivity levels, different coping styles, different environments, and different access to resources that can help them process stressful experiences. Trauma is trauma, and when it is not dealt with and resolved, it can cause a host of physical, mental, and emotional consequences.
While some sources define different types of trauma disorders, the specific diagnosis is not as important as understanding how trauma can affect people and why. But just for clarity’s sake, let’s review what PTSD is and how it’s diagnosed, and then we’ll look at other possible responses to trauma–and how traumatic stress is treated.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, PTSD affects 3.5% of U.S. adults every year, and women, Latinos, African Americans, and Native Americans/Alaska Natives have higher rates of PTSD than the rest of the population.
For PTSD to be diagnosed, symptoms must last for more than a month and cause significant disruption to a person’s ability to function. Symptoms are generally grouped into four types:
- Intrusive memories – includes distressing memories of the event, flashbacks, stressful dreams or nightmares about the event, and severe reactions to reminders of the event
- Avoidance – includes avoidance of thoughts, conversations, activities, or people that remind the person of the traumatic event
- Negative changes in thinking and mood – includes negative thoughts about oneself or others, hopelessness, difficulties with intimacy, feeling detached and emotionally numb, having memory lapses regarding the traumatic event, and losing interest in activities
- Changes in physical and emotional reactions – can include being easily startled and overly self-protective; aggressive or self-destructive behavior; trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating; and excessive guilt and shame
PTSD symptoms can appear months or years after the trauma and can last for years without treatment.
So what do you do with trauma when you don’t meet the criteria for PTSD? Maybe you experience many of the above symptoms but are still able to meet daily responsibilities and generally “function” even though you feel exhausted and disconnected. This is the perfect time to talk with a therapist who specializes in trauma. Early intervention can prevent the symptoms you’re experiencing from developing into PTSD.
Treatment for trauma at any stage, including PTSD, can involve a variety of therapeutic modalities as well as anti-anxiety medication or antidepressants. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is especially effective for treating trauma, as it encourages clients to become aware of their distorted thinking patterns and how those thoughts trigger emotional reactions. With awareness, clients are then able to actively change their thoughts, face their fears, and calm their emotions.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective holistic treatment for trauma. In EMDR, the therapist asks the client to briefly focus on a traumatic memory while simultaneously executing a series of “bilateral stimulation” (rhythmic left-right) movements of the eyes or via tones or taps. Doing so reduces the power of the traumatic memory.
If you or a loved one are experiencing effects of trauma and traumatic stress, contact our facility in Garner, North Carolina. At Raleigh Oaks, we work with adults and seniors suffering from mental health disorders. There is a path to hope, and we can walk it with you.
