5 Things to Know about PTSD
You’ve probably heard people refer to trauma and PTSD, whether in popular culture or in your daily life. You might hear someone say, “Oh my gosh, getting in trouble at work was so traumatic!” or “I have PTSD from being embarrassed in gym.”
As a psychologist specializing in the treatment of PTSD (short for posttraumatic stress disorder), there are a few things I would love for more people to know about PTSD:
Trauma in the context of PTSD refers to a specific set of experiences.
In the context of PTSD, for an event to be considered a trauma it must involve actual exposure to or the threat of serious injury, death, or sexual violence. The exposure can be direct, witnessed in person, or learned about (if they have occurred to a close family member or friend). Trauma can include natural disasters, car accidents, violent attacks (including physical and sexual assaults), combat exposure, and more.
It’s important to know that events that aren’t considered “traumas” in the context of PTSD can still be very upsetting. Emotionally difficult and upsetting experiences (like divorce, loss of a loved one, loss of a job, and interpersonal conflict) can result in difficulties with intense emotions and even anxiety and depression.
Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD.
Most of us will have some kind of emotional reaction after a trauma. For example, if I were to get into a car accident after writing this, I would probably feel upset. I might feel anxious and shaky, even after the danger is gone. I might also feel nervous about driving and find myself thinking about the car accident when I don’t want to. For some people, these symptoms will slowly go away over a period of weeks. We call this “natural recovery.” For people who go on to develop PTSD, these symptoms may grow in intensity or number, lasting at least a month or more.
Anyone can experience trauma and develop PTSD.
A lot of people think that PTSD can only occur in the context of military service. Combat exposure and other in-service traumas (including military sexual trauma [MST]) can lead military service members and veterans to develop PTSD. However, trauma can occur in anyone’s day-to-day life, too.
PTSD is NOT incurable.
People often think that PTSD cannot be effectively treated, probably due to the way PTSD is presented in entertainment and the news. Without treatment, PTSD can be chronic and lifelong. With treatment, many people experience a total or partial decrease in their symptoms, giving them a sense of relief and the ability to engage in their lives more fully and meaningfully.
There are multiple treatment options for PTSD.
PTSD can be treated with therapy, medication, and a combination of the two. Some of the most effective therapies are Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). I am a certified Prolonged Exposure therapist, which is a blog post for another day. If you are interested in comparing different treatment options, the VA has a great resource I recommend you check out.
Dr. Lauren Koch, Licensed Psychologist and Trauma Therapist in Spokane, WA
Looking for a trauma therapist in Spokane?
I’m a certified Prolonged Exposure therapist in Spokane, one of the gold-standard treatments for PTSD. Contact me for a free 15-minute consultation to learn how trauma therapy with a licensed psychologist can help you heal. I specialize in trauma and PTSD, combat PTSD, and high achievers with anxiety.