There are many reasons to celebrate our lives and the world we live in. While this is true, there are also many frightening and stressful things that life brings our way. Unfortunately, for a person who has experienced a life-threatening event or trauma, reasons to celebrate may be difficult to find. Trauma can leave us no longer wondering IF something bad will happen but rather WHEN will something bad happen. Along with this shift in thinking can come intrusive symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.

PTSD is a condition that can arise after experiencing trauma. Symptoms can destabilize your sense of security, intensifying fear and anxiety long after the actual event. It can stand in the way of leading a fulfilling life and prevent you from achieving your goals. Symptoms of PTSD can be intense and deserve attention as they are unlikely to improve without treatment.

While your symptoms may feel isolating, you are not alone. According to statistics offered by Healing My PTSD, there are about 31.3 million people in the United States who are experiencing symptoms of PTSD. PTSD is treatable. With professional help, you can begin living the life you deserve.

Understanding Trauma and PTSD

Trauma is an experience that can be described as deeply disturbing and emotionally painful. According to Judith Herman of Trauma and Recovery, “Traumatic events are extraordinary, not because they occur rarely, but rather because they overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life.” Traumas can be a single, painful experience, such as a natural disaster, assault or accident that can deeply impact your life. Trama can also be prolonged exposure to violence and abuse – war, childhood neglect, oppression and even discrimination.

Regardless of the event, or if you are a direct victim or a witness, trauma can potentially disrupt your abilities to adjust to life changes and challenges. When this happens, PTSD symptoms can emerge.

PTSD has been first used to describe the symptoms of war veterans. Much of the PTSD concept is influenced by the symptoms exhibited by the Vietnam War veterans. It was officially established as a diagnosis in 1980 after it was included in the DSM-III or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3d edition. In the revised DSM-5, the “Diagnostic criteria for PTSD include a history of exposure to a traumatic event that meets specific stipulations and symptoms from each of four symptom clusters: intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity.”

What are the Symptoms of PTSD?

PTSD is considered to be an anxiety disorder. If you are experiencing PTSD, your “fight or flight” system may have been damaged, so that you experience threats, even in the absence of real danger or emergency. According to the Calm Clinic, fight or flight responses can include rapid heartbeat, sweating, sudden surge of energy, hyperventilation, tingling or cold limbs, difficulty focusing or thinking, and/or dilated pupils. The fight or flight response is a functional biological mechanism that enables you to react fast in the face of a life-threatening situation. Unnecessary activation of this mechanism can be unhealthy, however, as an uncontrolled response system can overwhelm your nervous system.

Additional symptoms of PTSD can include re-experiencing the trauma, in the form of flashbacks, disturbing memories, and bad dreams. It may cause you to avoid situations, activities or places that can remind you of the experience. It may also trigger amplified emotional response, heightening your anxiety symptoms, leaving you feeling jittery and tired most of the time.

PTSD symptoms may not appear immediately after the trauma, it can occur much later, weeks, months, or even years. If your child has been exposed to a trauma, it is important to know that their symptoms could be different from adults. They may become withdrawn or act out their fears in unusual ways. They may also complain of aches and pains or may release their anxiety in disruptive behavior.

The Science Behind PTSD

Statistics show that 20 percent of individuals who experience a trauma will develop PTSD. There is no straightforward answer as to why. The Defense Center of Excellence explains that there are three main brain parts involved in the science behind PTSD – the amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The amygdala “is the stress evaluator” that screens situations for threats and decides when to respond. The hippocampus “stores and retrieves memories.” The prefrontal cortex is the “executive-functioning area responsible for rational thought and decision making.”

In the face of a trauma, the hippocampus reacts by calming the stress center – the amygdala. When this mechanism fails, it can wreak havoc on the hippocampus, diminishing its ability to calm the amygdala. When the nerve connections between these three brain parts are not functioning as they should, the memories can be constantly alive because they can’t be stored properly. Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex can’t make the right decisions because of the influx of unreal “stimuli.”

Trauma can over-stimulate the amygdala, keeping adrenaline levels high. Too much adrenaline can also stop the hippocampus from processing and storing memories, so they continue to be experienced, through intrusive memories, bad dreams or flashbacks. While this response system can be valuable in the face of real dangers, when the risk is nonexistent, the result is symptoms of PTSD.

Can Counseling Help?

PTSD can be debilitating, preventing you from living the life you would like to live. While overcoming a trauma may not be easy, there are treatment approaches that can help. Counseling can help. Therapy can help you to identify your symptoms and process what has happened to you so that you are able to move forward. You cannot change what happened to you, but you can change how you react to it.

Carolina Counseling Services — Cameron, NC – on Hwy 87, near Linden Oaks contracts with independent, licensed therapists who know PTSD and how to help. Call today to schedule your first appointment.

Related Articles:

• PTSD: How Can Therapy Help?
• Leave Trauma Behind: It’s a Great New Day!
• After the Trauma: Life with PTSD