Many people have the experience of trauma, and some will go on to develop PTSD. Realistically we can say that we have all gone through a trauma with COVID. Consider the wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, civil unrest, those who have fought in the military, and rescue workers. Most adults have had some type of traumatic event in their lifetime.
However, while most of us have had some sort of trauma, not everyone deals with it or experiences it in the same way. Some people move through it relatively unscathed and others with chronic distress or PTSD.
Symptoms of PTSD
The person experiences (or witnesses) an event that is a threat to their life, threat of serious injury, or sexual violence (from the DSM-5).
It can also be due to hearing about a violent event that occurred to a close family member or friend.
Re-experiencing
The person has intrusive thoughts or memories of the event
Disturbing dreams related to the event
Having flashbacks where the person feels they are re-experiencing the event as if it occurring
Psychological or physiological distress when any kind of cue or trigger occurs that makes the person think of the event
Avoidance
Attempting to avoid any memories, thoughts or feelings about the event
Avoiding people or places that remind them of the event
Having amnesia related to the event or parts of it
Feelings of detachment from others
Negative persistent thoughts or beliefs about self or others, or self-blame
Feelings of guilt, horror or shame
Decrease in interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past
Difficulty in experiencing positive emotions such as love and happiness
Physiological arousal
Having angry outbursts that are verbal or physical
Hypervigilance
Easily startled
Trouble concentrating
Difficulty sleeping
These symptoms need to last greater than one month to receive this diagnosis.
Treatment for PTSD
As disturbing as all of this is, there are treatments that can help. People can work through their trauma by talking about it, learning about their triggers and finding healthy ways of coping.
Most importantly, talking about your trauma with a therapist can help you process your thoughts and feelings and better understand what you are going through. You may feel like you are crazy, but you are not. You are working through a traumatic experience, which is very difficult.
Many people struggle after a trauma as the event was out of their control. The way the person views the world may have significantly altered. Surprisingly, the more you talk about your trauma, the less power it has over you. Doing so well help you regain your sense of power and control.
Normal response to trauma (from New Dimensions Day Treatment Centers)
Remember to have a diagnosis of PTSD you have to have the above symptoms for 30 days. Anyone who goes through a trauma will be impacted.
It is normal to feel a sense of confusion and disorientation
An event that you had no control over just occurred and it may take a while to make sense of things.
You may feel more vulnerable than you usually do. Most of us don’t think about this on a regular basis and it makes us realize how vulnerable we all are.
Guilt
Perhaps an accident occurred and you were the driver. Maybe you survived and someone else didn’t, or they were severely hurt.
Grief
You may have lost someone you love, or feel grief about the changes in your life.
Frustration and anger
Life is not fair. There is no reason that something like this should occur to anyone.
Fear that the event will happen again
It is normal to have this fear. For example if you got in a car accident, you realize how easy it is for it to occur. Realistically it can occur at any time. Yet it is important to get back in the car and keep driving, as this feeling will dissipate over time.
Shame and rage
Perhaps you were unable to save someone, or made a mistake that hurt someone else.
These feeling are very normal. They tend to fade over time, are not chronic and don’t prevent you from living your normal life. This certainly doesn’t mean you forget about what happened. The impact of it just fades over time.
It is helpful to talk about the event after it happens. In addition, processing and debriefing helps prevent it from being internalized (and lead to thinking in distorted ways), and gain a sense of power and control over your situation.
If you or someone you love has had a traumatic experience, therapy will help. Please give me a call at 713-304-6554 if I can help in any way.
Take care,
Debbie
