Beyond Treatment: How Can I Help Myself
It may be very hard to take that first step to help yourself. It is important to realize that although it may take some time, with treatment, you can get better. If you are unsure where to go for help, ask your family doctor. You can also check NIMH’s Help for Mental Illnesses page or search online for mental health providers, social services, hotlines, or physicians for phone numbers and addresses. An emergency room doctor can also provide temporary help and can tell you where and how to get further help.
To help yourself while in treatment:
- Talk with your doctor about treatment options
- Engage in mild physical activity or exercise to help reduce stress
- Set realistic goals for yourself
- Break up large tasks into small ones, set some priorities, and do what you can as you can
- Try to spend time with other people, and confide in a trusted friend or relative. Tell others about things that may trigger symptoms.
- Expect your symptoms to improve gradually, not immediately
- Identify and seek out comforting situations, places, and people
Caring for yourself and others is especially important when large numbers of people are exposed to traumatic events .
Is Complex Ptsd A Separate Condition
ICD-11 complex PTSD as a separate condition, though the DSM-5 currently does not. Some mental health professionals are beginning to distinguish between the two conditions, despite the lack of guidance from the DSM-5.
Research has also supported the validity of a separate diagnosis of complex PTSD. At least 29 studies from more than 15 countries have consistently shown the differences in symptoms between traditional PTSD and its complex variation.
One 2016 study that included more than 1,700 participating mental health professionals from 76 countries showed that clinicians could differentiate between the two diagnoses.
A person with complex PTSD may experience symptoms in addition to those that characterize PTSD.
Common symptoms of PTSD and complex PTSD include:
- avoiding situations that remind a person of the trauma
- dizziness or nausea when remembering the trauma
- hyperarousal, which means being in a continual state of high alert
- the belief that the world is a dangerous place
- a loss of trust in the self or others
- report complete amnesia of the trauma.
- Preoccupation with an abuser: It is not uncommon to fixate on the abuser, the relationship with the abuser, or getting revenge for the abuse.
Symptoms of complex PTSD can vary, and they may change over time. People with the condition may also experience symptoms other than the above.
What Treatment Was Like For Me
- Helps you process and make sense of your trauma. It involves calling the trauma to mind while paying attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound .
There are other types of trauma-focused psychotherapy that are also recommended for people with PTSD. These include:
- Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy A therapy in which you practice relaxation skills, recall details of the traumatic memory, reframe negative thoughts about the trauma, write a letter about the traumatic event, and hold a farewell ritual to leave trauma in the past.
- Narrative Exposure Therapy Developed for people who have experienced trauma from ongoing war, conflict, and organized violence. You talk through stressful life events in order and put them together into a story.
- Specific cognitive behavioral therapies for PTSDInclude a limited number of psychotherapies shown to work for PTSD where the provider helps you learn how to change unhelpful behaviors or thoughts.
Antidepressants
There are four antidepressant medications that are recommended for PTSD:
NOTE: Medications have two names: a brand name and a generic name
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Always Have A Safety Plan
It is important that you have a safety plan for yourself and the person suffering from PTSD. A simple conversation can turn into a crisis if the person with PTSD becomes triggered, which can result in attempts to harm themselves or others. In the event that you could find yourself in this situation, make sure you research ahead of time what the appropriate steps to take are, who to contact, and what to do to keep everyone safe.
Children And Young People
Trauma-focused CBT is usually recommended for children and young people with PTSD.
This normally involves a course of 6 to 12 sessions that have been adapted to suit the child’s age, circumstances and level of development.
Where appropriate, treatment includes consulting with and involving the child’s family.
Children who do not respond to trauma-focused CBT may be offered EMDR.
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Ensure Your Client They Are Not To Blame
Clients who have gone through trauma and may be experiencing PTSD often feel they are to blame . This usually leaves them with tremendous guilt, especially survivor guilt and blame .
It is important to state to the client explicitly that they are not to blame, and the therapy will help them eventually see that.
How Is Ptsd Treated
A doctor, nurse, or mental health professional who has experience in treating people with PTSD can help you. Treatment may include therapy or counseling, medicine, or both.
- Cognitive processing therapy is a type of talk therapy that was developed specifically to treat PTSD. CPT helps you pay attention to and change your upsetting thoughts.
- Prolongedexposure therapy is another type of talk therapy. A therapist will help you talk about and slowly remember the traumatic event repeatedly over time. Over time, the therapist will guide you through the difficult feelings and memories. By confronting the trauma, you may become less sensitive to the memories and related situations.14
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy is another type of therapy used to treat PTSD. During EMDR, you will be asked to remember and talk about the trauma while also focusing on a specific visual item, like the therapists hand, or listening to a specific sound, like beeps.
- Medicines to treat PTSD symptoms may include antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicine.
Treatments can last weeks, months, or longer. Treatment is not the same for everyone. What works for you might not work for someone else with PTSD. Drinking alcohol or using other drugs will not help PTSD go away and may even make it worse.
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There Are Treatment Options
Amid the feelings of hopelessness and isolation, people with PTSD do have options. The best way to tackle the mental health issue is with education and seeking the help of a professional.
People with PTSD feel like they are going crazy and are all alone in their condition. And the partner feels exactly the same, Wen says.
Often what we see in our clinic is that couples therapy becomes a gateway into individual treatment, Wen shares. The veteran might not necessarily agree to individual treatment yet. They dont want to feel like there is something wrong with them.
To support my partner and my own mental health, I continued my established solo therapy routine. Beyond that, I researched and tried a few other treatment options as well.
Here are few that may help you or your partner with PTSD:
- Seek individual therapy as a partner of someone with PTSD.
- Encourage your partner to attend individual therapy with a PTSD specialist.
- Attend couples therapy.
People With Ptsd Often Feel Unlovable
D. is beautiful inside and out. Not only is he strikingly handsome, he is smart, caring, and compassionate. But he didnt feel he was deserving of love, or even remotely loveable.
Traumatic experiences, in addition to being scary and impacting our sense of safety, very often have a direct effect on our cognition, says Irina Wen, MD, a psychiatrist and director of the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at NYU Langone Health.
Usually those effects are negative. As a result, the patient might start feeling undeserving and unlovable, or that the world is a dangerous place and people should not be trusted, she explains.
Over time, these negative thoughts become generalized so that negativity permeates all aspects of life. They can also carry over into a relationship.
D. would often ask me what I saw in him, how I could love him. This deep insecurity shaped how I treated him, with more reassurances without prompting.
D. needed a lot of time and attention from me. Because he had lost so much in his life, he had an almost controlling grip on me, from needing to know every detail of my whereabouts and having meltdowns when the plan changed last minute, to expecting me to be loyal to him above my own parents, even when I felt he didnt always deserve it.
In believing that he was unlovable, D. also created scenarios that cast him as such. When he was angry, hed express it by taking horrific jabs at me.
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Counseling Therapy And Ptsd
Content/Trigger Warning: Please be advised, the below article might mention trauma-related topics that include sexual assault & violence which could potentially be triggering.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
As described by the American Psychological Association , post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or sexual or other violent personal assault.
In honor of PTSD awareness month, this article talks about PTSD counseling and how to seek effective, evidence based treatment. According to the National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs , going through trauma is not rare.
In fact, according to the VA, roughly 6 out of 10 men and 5 out of 10 women in the US – 12 million adults – go through at least one traumatic experience in their lives. A small portion of those will develop a PTSD diagnosis.
PTSD Symptoms
Some symptoms of PTSD may develop within a few weeks or a month after a traumatic event, but other symptoms sometimes take years to emerge.
There are four main groups of PTSD symptoms:
Intrusive Memories
Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:
Avoidance
Symptoms of avoidance may include:
- Avoiding all places, people, or situations which may remind one of the traumatic event
- Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the event
Negative Changes In Mood
Can A Therapist Diagnose PTSD?
Learning To Cope With Ptsd
You must not get so wrapped up in your loved ones disorder that you neglect yourself. Dont feel guilty for not having all the answers no one does. Remind yourself that you cant speed up the process of recovery as these things always take time. Make time for your family and remember all the good things in your life. Learning to cope with PTSD is equally important for your well-being. Keep in mind that in a given year, approximately 5.2 million people suffer from PTSD. That means almost as many caregivers are dealing were with the disorder. You and your loved one arent alone.
Talk to your family about concerns you might have. You need their support. Learn methods of relaxation, like meditation or yoga, that can help you take a break. Use positive activities as a distraction. Make an effort to spend time with people who arent connected to your loved ones trauma. Dont allow yourself to be suffocated by the PTSD.
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Holistic Treatment For Ptsd
For some people, the best way to treat PTSD if you dont want to go the medication route might be to try healing from PTSD naturally or using holistic treatment.
Much of the approach involves seeking a re-establishment of a personal balance, both in mind and body. While some critics argue holistic techniques dont measure up to western medical scientific approaches, many people whove gone the holistic route now swear by it for their own stability and recovery.
Some popular holistic PTSD treatments include:
Holistic treatments such as incorporating meditation, yoga, and journaling can be healing when treating PTSD. Working with a licensed therapist or psychiatrist who specializes in trauma can be extremely supportive in your healing journey.
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Talking To Someone With Ptsd
When talking to your loved one about PTSD, be clear and to the point. Stay positive, and dont forget to be a good listener. When your loved one speaks, repeat what you understand and ask questions when you need more information. Dont interrupt or argue, but instead voice your feelings clearly. Dont assume your loved one knows how you feel if you dont express it. PTSD is hard on everyone involved with the victim.
Help your loved one put feelings into words. Ask about specific feelings, and ask what you can do to help. Lastly, dont give advice unless your loved one requests it.
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Identify & Learn Their Triggers
One of the symptoms of PTSD involves an intense emotional response to specific internal and external cues, known as triggers. These emotional responses may appear random to others, and often, even the person with PTSD has trouble identifying their own triggers.
In certain cases, the trigger will be obvious due to the persons response, but it may also take some time to identify more subtle triggers. Paying attention to your loved ones responses, communicating with them after their response has subdued, and learning more about their past trauma are all ways to provide support. It is important to figure out the types of situations that trigger these emotional responses, so you can be better prepared to help your friend or loved one in those situations.
How Is Ptsd Diagnosed
The doctor will do a mental health assessment. This means they will ask about current symptoms, past history and family history. They may do a physical examination to check that there are no other reasons for the symptoms.
The doctor may refer to a psychiatrist or psychologist. They will ask how long, how often and how intense the symptoms are, and what happened during the triggering event.
For PTSD to be diagnosed, the symptoms need to be severe enough to interfere with someones ability to function at work, socially or at home. A full diagnosis cannot be made until at least 6 months after the trauma.
Often a diagnosis can come as a relief for someone who has been suffering debilitating symptoms because it provides an explanation and a basis for beginning treatment.
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How To Help Someone With Post
Post-traumatic stress disorder sometimes occurs when a traumatic event is experienced. The illness is marked by uncontrollable thoughts, extreme anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks. PTSD sometimes causes short-term memory loss and can have long-term chronic psychological repercussions. Its imperative to seek treatment for PTSD as early as possible. Symptoms can become more severe over time, and for some people, PTSD can last for many years.
Living With Someone Who Has Ptsd
When a partner, friend, or family member has post-traumatic stress disorder it affects you, too. PTSD isnt easy to live with and it can take a heavy toll on relationships and family life. You may be hurt by your loved ones distance and moodiness or struggling to understand their behaviorwhy they are less affectionate and more volatile. You may feel like youre walking on eggshells or living with a stranger. You may also have to take on a bigger share of household tasks and deal with the frustration of a loved one who wont open up. The symptoms of PTSD can even lead to job loss, substance abuse, and other problems that affect the whole family.
Its hard not to take the symptoms of PTSD personally, but its important to remember that a person with PTSD may not always have control over their behavior. Your loved ones nervous system is stuck in a state of constant alert, making them continually feel vulnerable and unsafe, or having to relive the traumatic experience over and over. This can lead to anger, irritability, depression, mistrust, and other PTSD symptoms that your loved one cant simply choose to turn off.
With the right support from you and other family and friends, though, your loved ones nervous system can become unstuck. With these tips, you can help them to finally move on from the traumatic event and enable your life together to return to normal.
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Do Children React Differently Than Adults
Children and teens can have extreme reactions to trauma, but some of their symptoms may not be the same as adults. Symptoms sometimes seen in very young children , these symptoms can include:
- Wetting the bed after having learned to use the toilet
- Forgetting how to or being unable to talk
- Acting out the scary event during playtime
- Being unusually clingy with a parent or other adult
Older children and teens are more likely to show symptoms similar to those seen in adults. They may also develop disruptive, disrespectful, or destructive behaviors. Older children and teens may feel guilty for not preventing injury or deaths. They may also have thoughts of revenge.
How Can You Support Someone With Ptsd
Listen to them
PTSD in romantic relationships, family relationships and friendships can be challenging, but its important to let your loved one know that youre always there to support and listen to them. Encourage them to open up to you about how theyre feeling and how the trauma is impacting on their day-to-day life, but dont pressurise them into doing so let them know that they can talk to you at their own pace and youll always be ready to listen.
Dont be judgemental
If your loved one does open up to you about how theyre feeling, its so important to avoid being judgemental. This can be worrying if you don’t know how to talk to someone with PTSD and if youve never experienced trauma or PTSD, it can be hard to fully understand what theyre going through. However, trauma is subjective everyone experiences it differently and what may be traumatic for one person may not be traumatic for someone else. What your loved one is experiencing is very real to them and its crucial not to dismiss what theyre going through, make assumptions, or try and compare it to how you think you would feel in their situation.
Learn about their symptoms and triggers
Look after yourself
Help them to seek professional support
You could try to encourage them to speak to their GP about how theyre feeling, and even offer to go with them to support them. Their GP will be able to advise on next steps for treatment.
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