Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that is often seen in individuals who have been through a serious event such as a natural disaster, automobile accident, or war. This disorder typically causes vivid flashbacks or nightmares to the time and place where the person’s trauma occurred, which can make daily tasks or activities difficult if their PTSD remains unchecked and untreated.
The 4 Most Common PTSD Symptoms
Symptoms of PTSD most often appear in the first few months after a traumatic event, though it is also possible for these effects to remain dormant until years later. There is no telling what exactly will trigger a person’s symptoms, as each individual with PTSD is uniquely different.
There are four primary categories that symptoms of PTSD can fall into. These include:
- Intrusive thoughts: Involuntary memories of the traumatic event that forces the person to relive their experience. These may occur as conscious flashbacks, or nightmares during an unconscious state while the individual remains asleep. This is usually cued by one of the senses such as: seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, tasting something that triggers the symptom to be re-lived.
- Avoidance: Individuals with PTSD often try to avoid situations that they believe will trigger a distressing memory of their past trauma. For example, a person who was involved in a bad car accident may try to avoid driving or riding in a car. They may avoid sleep and/or people that remind them of the event.
- Changes in thoughts and feelings: These often pertain to the individuals themselves, as many believe that they are bad or broken in some way due to their recurring flashbacks that may result in harm to others around them. Numbness, guilt, shame, paranoia, brain fog, and memory loss.
- Changes in physical or emotional reactions: People with PTSD are generally much more skittish and fearful, which causes many to react more dramatically to certain stimulus around them. Concentration and sleep are often affected. Avoidance can also include numbing or over use of distractions to avoid feelings, such as: substance use/abuse, scrolling, excessive sleep, shopping, eating, pornography/sex, video games.
Characteristics that define a diagnosis of PTSD include presenting symptoms as mentioned above for longer than one month’s time. Many individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder will also develop related psychiatric conditions, such as acute stress disorder, anxiety disorders, reactive attachment disorder, an adjustment disorder, or disinhibited social engagement disorder.
Risk Factors to Consider
There is no way to know for certain whether or not a particular person will develop PTSD at some point in their life. However, there are a few known factors to be aware of that can increase an individual’s risk for developing this disorder, including:
- Added stress after a traumatic event
- Witnessing a traumatic event involving another person
- Feelings of helplessness or intense fear
- A history of mental illness or substance abuse
- Not having enough support from friends and/or loved ones after a traumatic event
The best way to combat these risk factors and the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder is to seek help from those around you as soon as possible. Establishing healthy coping mechanisms can be done both before or after a dangerous event, and leaning on others for much-needed support is vital to overcoming symptoms of PTSD.
Treatment for PTSD in Hillsboro, OR
For those who experience more intense symptoms of PTSD that they are unable to manage and control on their own, Still Waters Counseling Services is here to help. The most common methods used universally to treat PTSD include prescribed medications and psychotherapy.
Medications for PTSD Management
While medication cannot cure PTSD, it can certainly help to improve symptoms of the disorder. As previously noted, individuals with PTSD often experience sudden mood changes that can leave them feeling hopelessly sad or incredibly angry. Problems with sleep are also extremely common, and can also be managed using different types of medication as prescribed by Still Waters Counseling Services. Dr. Katherine Hoffman is an experienced naturopathic physician who specializes in helping adults who are struggling with PTSD.
Types of Psychotherapy Used for PTSD
Psychotherapy, often referred to as “talk therapy,” is a highly effective approach for treating a wide range of mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Different types of psychotherapy are designed to meet the unique needs of each individual, helping clients process trauma, develop coping strategies, and achieve lasting healing.
At our practice, we utilize several evidence-based modalities for the treatment of PTSD, including:
TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy)
PE (Prolonged Exposure Therapy)
IFS (Internal Family Systems)
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Brainspotting
Exposure Therapy
As its name would suggest, this form of psychotherapy is based on exposing the individual to their fears in order to relive the event in a safe environment that will not cause them any kind of harm. After experiencing the event in a safe and controlled space, many patients are able to realize that their avoided situations are not likely to cause a dangerous outcome, which can allow them to begin immersing themselves in previously enjoyed activities once again.
While traditional exposure therapy can be highly effective, it is often very intense for clients in its original form. For this reason, Still Waters Counseling Services typically incorporates approaches like EMDR and Brainspotting, which fall under the exposure therapy umbrella but allow for a more gradual and client-centered process. These methods help clients safely reprocess traumatic memories, reduce emotional distress, and regain a sense of control over their lives.
Cognitive Restructuring
It is common for individuals with PTSD to remember the event in a more serious and dramatic way than how it actually occurred. This can lead to feelings of shame or guilt that the trauma was the person’s own fault, even though this is often untrue. Cognitive restructuring focuses on reliving the event in a more realistic way that strips away the intense emotions around the trauma and leaves the patient feeling much more relaxed with their memories.
PTSD Screening and Assessment
Still Waters Counseling Services provide comprehensive screening and assessment services for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to ensure accurate diagnosis and guide effective treatment. We use the PCL-5 (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5) to screen for the presence and severity of symptoms, and the CAPS-5 (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5), the current gold standard, to confirm diagnosis and evaluate symptom intensity. Ongoing assessments also allow us to monitor progress and adjust treatment as needed, supporting a clear path toward recovery.
When To Seek Treatment for PTSD
If you continue to experience effects from a traumatic event, or have difficulty in regulating the intensity of your PTSD symptoms, please contact Still Waters Counseling Services right away at 541-807-0690 to discover new ways to manage your fears or anxiety. Post-traumatic stress disorder is treatable, and you can overcome it using the proper tools and guidance.
