Today is PTSD Awareness Day. People with PTSD may experience involuntary and intrusive flashbacks of a traumatic event where they relive a trauma. When we are in fight or flight mode, it significantly impacts our behavior; this is one reason it’s worth noting that you don’t know what the people around you are going through. Talking about PTSD and other mental health disorders destigmatizes the topic, so that people can feel safe seeking help.
Facing and Coping With Trauma
Not dealing with or talking about trauma can prolong suffering. In one study, students were asked to journal about either traumatic or mundane events in their lives for four consecutive days. In the next six months, those who had journaled about their trauma visited the campus health center less often.
Cognitive Processing Therapy utilizes journaling to process traumas. Your therapist asks you to write about what happened, then helps you make sense of your thoughts and feelings surrounding the event.
PTSD Treatment
People with PTSD need adequate resources and care. Early interventions can decrease the chances of developing chronic PTSD by 50%. After six weeks of therapy, up to 46% of people with PTSD have improved symptoms.[1] About 62% of people with the condition experience the same after taking medication.[2]
Like for many other mental health disorders, treatment is typically some combination of therapy and medication. Some of those with PTSD may require medication, while others do not. Specific types of therapy—such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)—are often recommended. It’s helpful to seek out a therapist who is trauma-informed.
We’re still in a global pandemic; this year has been traumatic for many. Not everyone who experiences a trauma will develop PTSD—but everyone who goes through something traumatic deserves the time, space, and resources to cope with it.
If you are struggling with PTSD or substance use, there is help available. TruHealing Centers offers high-quality treatment for mental health disorders and addiction in facilities across the country. We offer trauma therapy to help you process traumatic experiences and build towards recovery. Call an admissions specialist at 410-593-0005.
[1] https://www.aafp.org/afp/2003/1215/p2401.html#sec-6
[2] https://www.aafp.org/afp/2003/1215/p2401.html#sec-6