What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Our lives are filled with sad and difficult events that we can’t avoid or predict. Understandably, these things will have a massive effect on how we feel, how we live and how we interact with other people and the world.
All events affect us in different ways but events that lead to PTSD have very specific criteria and symptoms according to the DSM V (This is the manual clinicians use to understand different mental health problems, it stands for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition).
To have a diagnosis of PTSD, you must:
Have experienced or witnessed one or more events that are so horrifying or frightening that you thought yourself (or someone close to you) might be at risk serious harm, injury or death.
As a result of this event, you notice that you are re-experiencing or reliving key moments of the trauma as flashbacks or nightmares. People report that they feel like they are back at that time as though no time has passed.
You might also feel disconnected from the here and now, so we can get a sense of ‘dissociation.’
Hyperarousal is another key symptom. This means that you might be hypervigilant, irritable or angry and become easily startled by the smallest thing.
You might notice you begin to avoid different people, places or things so you aren’t reminded of the awful experience that you had.
Traumatic events can have a huge impact on how you see yourself, other people and the world so you might notice negative changes in your thoughts.
These are all really understandable responses and make a lot of sense in context. Take Brian as an example:
Brian was mugged at gun point on a night out as he was waiting for a taxi. The perpetrator told Brian he would be killed if he didn’t hand over his phone and wallet. Brian was understandably terrified. In the days and weeks after the incident, Brian couldn’t shake how he was feeling, he kept reliving the experience of seeing the perpetrators gun, he dreamt about the experience too and would wake up in a panic. He had always been quite confident and carefree, but the mugging made him think that the world was incredibly dangerous and that he wasn’t safe anywhere. He was on edge all the time thinking that he would see the perpetrator again and he would look out of the window constantly to see if they were there, he had CCTV installed at home and would monitor it at all times of day and night to keep him and his family safe. He stopped going on nights out, in fact, eventually he stopped leaving the house altogether. He also tried to stop his family from going anywhere in case they would be mugged too.
Brian’s reaction makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, over time, this level of distress and avoidance can have a huge impact on our lives, our jobs, our friendships and our relationships.
Brian needed some help to process the incident, so he came to therapy. The recommended treatment for PTSD is CBT or EMDR. These types of therapies help people to process their experiences so that they no longer experience flashbacks and nightmares, feel less on edge and start to rebuild their lives.
That’s not to say you can’t have help if you have experienced trauma but don’t meet the PTSD criteria, it’s just you might get a different type of help than specific trauma focus therapy. Talk to a mental health provider like us so we can explore it together.
Here are some helpful tips to manage symptoms of PTSD:
Get help. The most useful thing you can do is reach out to an accredited practitioner who is trained to work with trauma.
Grounding. This is a tool that will help bring you back to the here and now when you are having a flashback. Practice the 5,4,3,2,1 technique as often as possible:
What are 5 things you can see? Notice small details such as the details in the curtains, the colours you can see in the garden, the way the light reflects off the kitchen tiles.
What are 4 things you can feel? Notice how your feet feel on the ground, the feeling of your body in the chair, how your clothes feel against your skin, pick up an object and really study its weight and texture in your hand.
What are 3 things you can hear? Notice the sound of the central heating or fridge humming, listen for the sound of birds or the distant traffic on the road.
What are 2 things you can smell? Notice the air freshener or the smell outside in the garden. Is there a cologne or perfume you like or an essential oil that has a strong smell that brings you back to the present?
What is 1 thing you can taste? Carry chewing gum, sweets or snacks with strong flavours to keep your attention in the present.
Exercise. Regular exercise can help to manage symptoms of PTSD.
Manage stimulants and substances. Lots of people turn to drugs to ease their distressing symptoms, this usually only gives a temporary relief but brings more longer-term negative side effects.
Time in nature. Berkley University has conducted some research highlighting that the feelings of awe that we experience in nature are shown to have a positive effect in PTSD symptoms.
A final note: If you have experienced a traumatic event that is having a negative impact on your mood and life in a different way to the symptoms outlined above, it’s important that you also reach out for help. We would like to talk to you to understand what you have been through, how it is affecting you and try to offer support to help you move forwards.
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