When Trauma Lingers: Unpacking the Reality of PTSD
Welcome to Brainwaves, the official blog of Intempo Psychiatry. If you’re new here, welcome! Feel free to subscribe if the content resonates with you and stay tuned for updates. If you’re already subscribed, welcome back!
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days, but the reality is much more complex than many realize. PTSD isn’t just “being stressed out” after a difficult situation; it’s a profound and life-altering condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Whether you’ve experienced it yourself or have loved ones living with PTSD, it’s crucial to understand the true nature of this condition and how it can shape someone’s everyday life.
So, what exactly is PTSD, and how is it different from the stress and anxiety we all deal with on a daily basis? Let’s break it down.
What Is PTSD?
PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after a person has been exposed to or witnessed a traumatic event. This might include things like combat, sexual assault, a serious accident, natural disasters, or even the sudden loss of a loved one. The event itself can be deeply distressing, but what separates PTSD from regular stress is how the mind and body respond to the trauma, sometimes long after the event has occurred.
PTSD doesn’t happen immediately for everyone. Some people may experience symptoms within a few weeks, while others might not notice anything for months, even years. That delay can make PTSD especially difficult to diagnose because it doesn’t always align with the initial trauma.
Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD
According to the DSM-5, for someone to be diagnosed with PTSD, certain criteria need to be met. Here’s a simplified version of those criteria:
Exposure to trauma: The person must have directly experienced or witnessed a traumatic event or learned about a traumatic event that happened to someone close to them.
Re-experiencing symptoms: This includes flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts about the traumatic event. It’s not just remembering the event but reliving it, often with vivid, emotional intensity.
Avoidance behaviors: People with PTSD often avoid places, activities, or even thoughts that remind them of the trauma. This can lead to social isolation or an inability to participate in activities that used to bring joy.
Negative changes in thoughts and mood: PTSD can cause people to view themselves or the world around them in a negative light. They might feel detached from reality, develop memory problems, or experience feelings of guilt and shame.
Arousal and reactivity symptoms: This includes being easily startled, always feeling “on edge,” having difficulty sleeping, or being quick to anger. People with PTSD often feel like they are in a constant state of alertness, waiting for something bad to happen.
Duration: These symptoms need to last for more than one month for a diagnosis of PTSD.
Impairment: The symptoms cause significant distress or impair someone’s ability to function in daily life.
PTSD vs. Regular Stress
So, how does PTSD differ from the regular stress or anxiety we all experience?
Let’s say you’re driving to work, and you have a near-miss with another car. Your heart rate spikes, you get a little shaky, but after a few deep breaths and some time, you manage to calm down and move on. That’s a normal stress response. Your brain detects a threat, reacts to it, and then your body returns to baseline once the perceived danger has passed.
Now, imagine that same situation, but weeks, months, or even years later, you still feel that intense fear. You might start avoiding driving altogether or relive the near-crash every time you get in a car. You could be on high alert, constantly scanning for threats, even when they’re not there. That’s how PTSD manifests—your brain and body stay stuck in “fight or flight” mode, long after the danger is gone.
Common Misconceptions
A lot of people think PTSD only affects combat veterans, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. While veterans are indeed at higher risk, anyone who has gone through a traumatic experience can develop PTSD. Survivors of sexual assault, childhood abuse, natural disasters, or even serious car accidents are all at risk. Trauma doesn’t discriminate.
Another common myth is that people with PTSD should just “get over it” or “move on.” Trauma is deeply personal, and the way it imprints on the brain is complex. Telling someone to “just forget about it” can be harmful and dismissive. Healing from PTSD often requires professional treatment, whether through therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
Personalizing the Experience
Living with PTSD can feel like being trapped in a never-ending cycle of reliving the worst moments of your life. For example, imagine someone who survived a house fire. Each time they smell smoke or hear a fire alarm, they’re transported back to that terrifying night. Their heart races, their breathing becomes shallow, and they might experience a full-blown panic attack, even though there’s no actual fire. In those moments, the brain doesn’t recognize the difference between past and present; the trauma is fresh and alive.
This constant state of vigilance is exhausting and can take a toll on relationships, work, and physical health. That’s why it’s so important to understand that PTSD isn’t a sign of weakness or something you can simply snap out of. It’s a real, tangible condition that requires care and support.
Treatment and Hope
The good news? PTSD is treatable. With the right approach, people can reclaim their lives. Treatment often includes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), specifically a type known as cognitive processing therapy (CPT), which helps patients process their trauma in a healthy way. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is another evidence-based treatment that has shown promising results in helping people work through traumatic memories.
Medication, like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), can also help manage symptoms, especially when combined with therapy. The key is recognizing that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Every person’s journey with PTSD is different, and so is their path to recovery.
New therapies such as psychedelics have shown immense promise as well. While none are approved for use outside of clinical trials, compounds such as MDMA have shown promise in reducing and, in some cases, eliminating symptoms altogether. These effects are even seen several months after treatment. While we eagerly await FDA approval and DEA rescheduling of psychedelics for psychiatric treatment, it’s clear that they will eventually serve a pivotal role in bring much needed relief to people struggling with PTSD.
PTSD is more than just stress—it’s an overwhelming, often debilitating condition that can alter the course of a person’s life. But there is hope. By understanding the true nature of PTSD, we can foster empathy and support for those living with it. If you or someone you know is struggling with PTSD, reach out to a mental health professional. Healing is possible, and with the right tools, life after trauma can be brighter than it seems right now.
Until next time!
Dr. McCall
