Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Diagnosis and Treatment

PTSD is a mental disorder that affects veterans, first responders, and other trauma victims.

Overview of PTSD

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion in the news about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This condition can be challenging to deal with, both for the person suffering from it and their loved ones. Therefore, it is essential to learn as much as possible about PTSD to get help if you or someone you know is affected by it. In this blog post, we will discuss what PTSD is, how it is diagnosed, and how it is treated.

Approximately 3.6% of adults in the United States have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In comparison, about 5% of adolescents ages thirteen to eighteen in the United States have post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a mental health diagnosis that is increasingly prevalent among youths and adults. Awareness, education, and treatment are critical to combat the lasting effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.¹

What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition that may develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event. Events that are more traumatic than typical life stressors such as physical assaults, global disasters, combat, and violence can result in PTSD. Although everyone doesn’t react to trauma the same way or develop PTSD, about 50% of adults in the United States will experience at least one traumatic event throughout their lives.¹

What Does PTSD Do to a Person?

PTSD leaves people with disturbing and intense thoughts related to their trauma. Individuals often relive the event over and over during flashbacks and intense nightmares. Feelings of sadness, detachment, fear, and anger are common for people with PTSD. People with a diagnosis of PTSD can be easily triggered by touch and loud noises.²

How Common Is PTSD?

In the United States, approximately one out of every eleven people will receive a diagnosis of PTSD within their lifetime. Post-traumatic stress disorder affects people of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, genders, and nationalities. In the U.S., women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with PTSD than men. In addition, Latinos, American Indians, and African Americans are disproportionately affected by PTSD.²

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Causes and Risk Factors

There is a multitude of PTSD causes and risk factors. The following sections explore the various causes and risk factors for a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis.

What Causes PTSD?

PTSD is caused by distressing, frightening, and stressful events, as well as prolonged traumatic experiences. Examples of PTSD-inducing events are serious accidents, sexual assault, childhood abuse, domestic violence, serious health problems, physical assault, childbirth trauma, war, torture, and conflict. Although it’s not fully understood, some people develop PTSD while others who have gone through a similar event do not.³

PTSD Risk Factors

Individuals with a diagnosis of depression or anxiety are more likely to develop PTSD after a traumatic event. Limited familial support and genetics are also thought to play a role in its development. For instance, if a person has a parent with a mental health diagnosis, they would be more likely to develop PTSD following a traumatic occurrence.³

Diagnosis and Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The following sections will describe post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and how it is diagnosed.

PTSD symptoms fall into four main categories, intrusion, avoidance, arousal and reactivity, and cognition and mood.

Intrusion Symptoms

Intrusion-related symptoms are repetitive, involuntary memories, flashbacks, and distressing dreams. When a person experiences a flashback, it can be so vivid that they feel as though they are reliving the trauma.

Avoidance Symptoms

The avoidance category of PTSD symptoms involves staying away from people, places, and things that remind a person of the traumatic event. Avoidance is a protective mechanism to minimize triggers.

Arousal and Reactivity Symptoms

Changes in reactivity and arousal are the third main group of PTSD symptoms. These symptoms include irritability, outbursts of anger, reckless behavior, and self-destructive actions. For example, when a person becomes overly watchful of their surroundings, easily startled, or struggles to get a good night’s sleep, they could be struggling with arousal and reactivity symptoms.

Cognition and Mood Symptoms

PTSD symptoms can look like distorted internal beliefs, inability to remember details of the trauma, blaming oneself for the event or trauma, and persistent negative feelings. Negative feelings can include guilt, shame, horror, fear, loss of interest in activities, feeling detached, and inability to feel positive emotions.

How Is PTSD Diagnosed?

PTSD symptoms in women and men are diagnosed similarly. To investigate a possible PTSD diagnosis, an individual can request an assessment from a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other trained mental health professional. Generally, people who have displayed symptoms of PTSD for more than one month and meet the criteria for a diagnosis will be offered PTSD treatment.⁴

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment

PTSD treatment typically involves psychological therapies and medication management. The following sections will provide more information about these two interventions.⁴

Medications

Medication for PTSD treatment can involve antidepressants such as paroxetine and sertraline. To receive appropriate medication management, individuals need to consult with a psychiatric mental health specialist. In addition, if someone is considering medications for post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, they should ask their prescriber about possible side effects and withdrawal symptoms.

Psychotherapy

Psychological therapies, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and peer support, are the three primary forms used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

Get Help for PTSD at J. Flowers Health Institute

J. Flowers Health Institute empowers clients with a holistic wellness approach throughout their healing journey. Innovative technologies, cutting-edge diagnostics, and top-notch providers come together to support clients and meet them where they are.

PTSD Treatment Program

The J. Flowers PTSD Treatment Program provides comprehensive health evaluations and curated programs based on an individual’s circumstances. Knowledgeable providers and staff support each client with PTSD treatment plans, motivation, understanding, and compassion. J. Flowers Institute’s multidisciplinary team is uniquely positioned to provide advanced treatment for PTSD.

Contact Us Today

To learn more about the treatment services and care available at J. Flowers Health Institute, contact our friendly concierge team today. You do not have to go through the recovery process alone. Our staff at J. Flowers Health Institute will help you achieve long-term healing and know a life of peace once again. Reach out to us today to learn more about our programs for PTSD.