One of the recent social media trends is a casual and sometimes inaccurate, portrayal of post-traumatic disorder (or PTSD) and trauma, along with a variety of questionable treatments suggested to cure it.
What is PTSD? Who gets it, and how can you treat it?
I have worked with hundreds with PTSD as a psychiatrist who specializes in trauma. Some of them are first-responders, refugees, or survivors of torture. Some have suffered from childhood traumas, such as shootings, assaults, rape, or robbery.
My news feeds are often distorted by misinformation about trauma and PTSD.
Procrastination does not mean laziness. “It is childhood trauma.”
“Trauma Test: What first image did you see?” “A shark or a leg?”
People who apologize for no good reason have PTSD.
Mental health advocacy has made great strides in educating the public about trauma and its stigma. Has spread misinformation on social media by using terms like “trauma,” ‘childhood trauma’ and PTSD. People who have a financial or an emotional motive, like those looking for followers, are more likely to spread misinformation.
These posts often romanticize trauma and even treat it as a trend. This, in turn, trivializes those who have suffered traumatic events. This can create confusion and stop those who are in need of help from getting the support they deserve.
After a traumatic event, it’s common to experience bad dreams or to feel as if the trauma is reoccurring.
Trauma explained
In popular culture and the everyday vocabulary, the word trauma is often used too loosely. As a result, on social media, a difficult breakup or an argument with a family member might be portrayed as traumatic. While these experiences could be highly stressful, they are not considered trauma in the clinical world.
The field of psychiatry defines trauma as direct exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. That includes experiences such as war, assault, sexual abuse and rape, robbery, being shot at, severe car accidents, and natural disasters. Trauma exposure is common among, though certainly not limited to, urban populations.
Trauma exposure does not necessarily have to be direct; it can also happen by witnessing or being near the event or by exposure to its aftermath. This is what often happens to first responders, those in the vicinity of or exposed to the aftermath of mass shootings, and refugees, all of whom see the worst of what humans do to each other.
The immediate response to trauma can include shock, severe anxiety or panic, confusion, helplessness, constant recall of the event, feeling on edge, difficulty sleeping, anger, guilt, or physical discomfort. Trauma can have numerous long-term effects, including anxiety, difficulty with trust, depression, and substance use.
Trauma can lead to PTSD, but it doesn’t necessarily have to.
PTSD explained
Not everyone who experiences trauma has PTSD. For the majority of people exposed to trauma, symptoms subside over time. But some people remain in a constant state of “fight or flight,” a physiological response in which the brain stays fully alert to ensure escape or to neutralize a real or perceived danger.
When the severity of symptoms passes a specific threshold, mental health clinicians consider a PTSD diagnosis. To be diagnosed with the disorder, the person must have one or two symptoms from all of the following categories:
“Intrusion” symptoms, such as recurring, unwanted memories of the traumatic event or frequent nightmares or flashbacks as if the event is happening again. This includes seeing the scenes, hearing the sounds, or experiencing the smells of the event.
Intense avoidance of anything that is a reminder of the trauma, including thoughts and memories of the event, people who could resemble the perpetrator, and places or times of day that are associated with where, when, or how the trauma happened.
Persistent negative emotions and thoughts, such as anxiety, sadness, guilt, a negative perception of self – that is, a feeling that you’re permanently damaged – or a mistrust of the world. This might include an inability to experience positive emotions.
Hyperarousal – meaning constantly being on the lookout for danger – and being easily startled or angered and being unable to sleep.
Getting help
Like any other medical condition, a diagnosis of PTSD must be made by a mental health professional, preferably one skilled in trauma and PTSD. Some people endure certain symptoms without meeting all the criteria for PTSD. If this causes significant social, academic, or occupational dysfunction and distress, the person will still need help.
If you have endured traumatic experiences, first understand that PTSD is not your identity. It is a disease that can be and should be treated. Getting an evaluation from your primary care doctor is the first step. They may refer you to a mental health professional. Or you can reach out directly to a psychiatrist, a clinical psychologist, or a licensed social worker for an evaluation.
Your insurance provider can help you find a therapist or psychiatrist, preferably specializing in trauma. You can also find a list of providers through the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. If you don’t have insurance, you can get help at a local community mental health clinic or a federally qualified health center.
If a diagnosis is confirmed, know that you do not have to suffer for years to come. There are effective and safe psychotherapy treatments that can help process the traumatic memories, overcome the related negative thoughts or feelings of guilt and shame, and help overcome avoidance of normal life situations because of the trauma.