PTSD

It’s important to understand what happens in a trauma experience. Whenever a person is in a situation that is a threat to their life (whether or not they are physically harmed), emotionally painful, frightening, or intensely stressful, they can be traumatized. This includes being threatened, even if the trauma event does not occur. It also includes witnessing trauma or threats.

Just because you go through a traumatic event doesn’t mean that you are doomed to develop PTSD. It depends on your personal response to what has happened. If your feelings of fear, helplessness, or hopelessness continue or intensify, PTSD may be the issue.

We can group PTSD symptoms into four main categories:

1. Intrusive memories

The first category of symptom is that of intrusive memories. These include any sort of unwanted recurrent, distressing memories or flashbacks of the traumatic event. These may be experienced as dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event.

Intrusive memories form the first category. Upsetting memories of a traumatic keep coming to mind, even when the person wants to move on. Or they may have flashbacks or nightmares of the event. When triggered by a situation or any kind of resemblance or reminder of the trauma, a person with PTSD may be extremely distressed emotionally and mentally.

2. Avoidance

Because of how upsetting triggers can be, a person with PTSD might avoid processing their trauma by thinking or talking about it. To avoid reminders of the trauma, they might avoid people, places, and circumstances that remind them of what happened.

A low level of avoidance is a natural response; it’s important to note whether the avoidance in interfering with the person’s everyday functioning. Are they avoiding innocent people who remind them of the trauma? Are they unable to spend much time at home because of what happened there? A chronic pattern of avoidance that interferes with everyday life can indicate PTSD.

3. Negative thought and mood patterns

A person suffering from PTSD will often exhibit noticeably negative mental and emotional states, including:

• Difficulty maintaining relationships
• Detachment from friends and family
• Lack of excitement or optimism about the future
• Cynicism about life and people
• Lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities
• Not remembering the details of the trauma
• Being generally negative or feeling emotionally numb
• Having poor self-esteem

4. Hyperarousal

The final category of PTSD symptoms is known as hyperarousal, and these symptoms present in the following ways:

• Having trouble focusing
• Acting out in risky behavior
• Being aggressive
• Being self-destructive
• Constantly being vigilant for danger
• Feeling overwhelmingly guilty or ashamed
• Not being able to sleep
• Substance abuse
• Being easily annoyed or angered
• Being easily startled or frightened

Young children (especially under age 7) might also reenact the trauma in play or experience nightmares.

First, let’s discuss two kinds of stress responses that can lead to or indicate PTSD:

Normal Stress Response 

When a person is traumatized, either as a victim or witness, they might experience a range of “normal” responses, including feeling disconnected from reality, physical tension, emotional numbness, negative memories, and replaying the event in their mind. This response does not necessarily lead to PTSD.

Acute Stress Disorder

Another way a person might respond to a traumatic event is when they develop Acute Stress Disorder while experiencing symptoms like these:

• Struggling to function at work
• Dissociating
• Being paranoid in daily life
• Experiencing panic attacks
• Having relationship difficulties
• Being unable to manage basic self-care

Acute Stress Disorder rarely occurs after one traumatic experience; it almost always results from ongoing or long-term trauma.

Uncomplicated PTSD 

This type of PTSD is the most basic form. Uncomplicated PTSD is indicated by hyperarousal, avoidance, replaying the event, and emotional numbness. There are many different treatment methods that can be used to address uncomplicated PTSD.

Comorbid PTSD

When a person has PTSD and another form of mental illness or behavioral disorder, they are diagnosed with comorbid PTSD. They may have a mental illness such as anxiety, an eating disorder, ADHD, or anger problems, or they may be addicted to the use of illicit substances, or have some other mental or behavioral issue.

In the treatment setting, therapists often successfully use similar methods for comorbid PTSD as they do for uncomplicated PTSD. At the same time, they address the other issue or disorder on its own.

Complex PTSD

This type of PTSD is sometimes called Extreme Stress Disorder, and it occurs in response to a long-term trauma experience, especially when the trauma happens during childhood.

Complex PTSD is often associated with other disorders like dissociative or antisocial personality disorders. It’s also associated with hyperarousal symptoms like insomnia and aggression. Sometimes it’s comorbid with substance abuse or eating disorders.

Complex PTSD is by its very nature more complicated than the other two forms of PTSD. It requires a lengthier treatment period, and treating it is not as straightforward as treating uncomplicated or comorbid PTSD.

As referenced above, there are many types of therapeutic approaches that can be used for treating PTSD, based on the individual and their personality, experience, and other issues relating to the disorder. Each person has a different experience of PTSD and will respond differently to treatment.

When you make your risk-free initial appointment at Tacoma Christian Counseling, you’ll meet with one of our skilled Christian counselors to discuss your options for treatment. If needed, your doctor may be involved in helping to ascertain the scope of the problem. Our Christian counselors’ goal is to choose the option that offers the best chance of successful PTSD treatment.

Psychotherapy

• Cognitive therapy

Cognitive therapy is one version of talk therapy. During this treatment, the therapist starts by helping the patient assess their memories of trauma and understand their perspective of the trauma. Then, the therapist walks the patient through an alternate summary and perspective of the trauma, with the goal of integrating this new evaluation into the patient’s memory.

Overall, cognitive therapy can help a PTSD patient realize how their thinking patterns play a part in the disorder. Specifically, these thinking patterns could be anxiety about repeated trauma, negative perspectives on other people, or low self-esteem.

• Exposure therapy

Therapists sometimes use both cognitive and exposure therapy with the same patient. In this kind of therapy, a patient is gradually exposed to memories or situations that they generally avoid. This careful and controlled exposure in the therapeutic setting helps break the hold of fear in the patient’s mind.

Throughout the process of exposure therapy, the therapist will help the patient learn coping mechanisms to deal with flashbacks, nightmares, and other fearful thoughts and emotions.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

A third therapy that is frequently used to treat PTSD works to reprogram the patient’s mind and stored traumatic memories, with the result of getting rid of the unwanted symptoms related to the trauma.

Medications

• Antidepressants

Despite their name, antidepressants can be prescribed for conditions other than depression. They are also prescribed for anxiety, insomnia, and problems with focusing. Zoloft and Paxil, both in the category of SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), have proved to be effective in PTSD treatment. They are both FDA approved for that purpose.

• Anti-anxiety medications

PTSD and anxiety overlap in many ways, so effective PTSD treatment plans often include anti-anxiety medications. These medicines often lead to addiction, so their use should be carefully supervised, and they are generally not prescribed for long periods of time.

• Prazosin

This drug is still going through clinical trials, but it is sometimes prescribed to treat nightmares. The most recent studies have proven inconclusive as to the drug’s effectiveness. Your doctor may be able to tell you more about whether this drug could help your PTSD symptoms.

As with all medications, side effects are possible, so it’s important to keep in touch with your doctor and therapist throughout the course of taking medication for PTSD.

Christian Counseling for PTSD

If you are struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and would like to take the first steps towards healing, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today. You can also browse our convenient online counselor directory to find a Christian counselor who can work with you.

When you have PTSD, it can seem like life will never be the same again, but counseling for PTSD can be effective and life-changing. At Tacoma Christian Counseling, our professional Christian counselors are equipped to help you cope with and resolve your PTSD symptoms. Please contact us today.