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Despite how prevalent this mental health condition can be, the average person typically has very little knowledge of what PTSD is and how it affects adults and children.

As a condition resulting from traumatic events that can occur at any time in someone’s life, it’s essential to understand the symptoms of PTSD. By knowing how PTSD affects people and what kind of care provides the necessary support and treatment, it’s possible to reduce symptoms and help people with PTSD live happier, healthier lives in the long term.

Much like other mental health problems, PTSD isn’t a singular condition that appears the same in everyone. Children with PTSD, for example, may have a very different response to adults with the same issue. Our guide covers everything you need to know about post-traumatic stress disorder. Read on to learn more about what PTSD is, the causes of this condition, symptoms to watch out for, and the different types of PTSD. You can find all the details below:

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What is PTSD?

The American Psychological Association defines post-traumatic stress disorder, shortened to PTSD, as a condition that some people may develop following a highly traumatic event. For example, a crime, accident, combat, or terrorist attack. PTSD is a term that encompasses a range of long-term physical and psychological symptoms following an experienced trauma.

People with PTSD may relive their experience of trauma through recollections, nightmares, and flashbacks. In addition, they may experience a heightened anxiety and feeling of ‘being on edge’, which can involve poor sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and survivor’s guilt in some cases. In the past, PTSD was known as ‘shell shock’ or ‘combat fatigue’ as a descriptor to explain the symptoms of post-war combat veterans. Today, we understand that PTSD can affect anyone who has experienced trauma.

What are the types of PTSD?

According to the DSM-5, PTSD is a kind of anxiety-based disorder triggered by a specific trauma. Under this umbrella, a person can be diagnosed with five types of post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, more than 7.7 million Americans are estimated to struggle with one of these five forms of PTSD. They include:

Normal stress response

This condition occurs before PTSD but does not always lead to this disorder. If you are in an accident and are injured, you may have high stress and tension that requires proper management. Support from friends, family and medical professionals can help people with a normal stress response to recover in the weeks following the trauma.

Acute stress disorder

If people are exposed to what feels like a life-threatening event, such as the risk of death or a natural disaster, they may have a strong stress response leading to this disorder. If not treated professionally through therapy, medication, and treatments, acute stress disorder can be PTSD.

Uncomplicated PTSD

Uncomplicated PTSD is typically the type of condition many associates with a PTSD diagnosis. People with uncomplicated PTSD are usually triggered by a single event, allowing for effective treatment through medication, therapy, or a combination of the two.

Complex PTSD

Complex PTSD, also known as C-PTSD, so caused by multiple traumatic events rather than a singular event. For instance, domestic abuse, combat trauma, and child sexual abuse are common causes of complex PTSD. While both complex and uncomplicated PTSD have similar symbols, C-PTSD can be more challenging to treat, and people with this condition may have other behavioral issues.

Comorbid PTSD

Comorbid PTSD occurs when a person is struggling with more than one disorder. For instance, substance abuse and PTSD can be comorbid disorders requiring treatment that helps manage both conditions at once. Many mental health or physical health disorders are comorbid, requiring a more in-depth treatment plan.

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

The symptoms of PTSD can differ from one person to the next. The amount of time it takes for symptoms to become apparent can also vary wildly, with most people with PTSD displaying symptoms within three months of the traumatic event, while some don’t show any signs of this condition until years later. Typically, PTSD symptoms are divided into four sections:

Reliving

Hallucinations, flashbacks, and nightmares are common symptoms of PTSD, where a person relives an experience that causes them trauma. For example, if someone who has PTSD from a car crash is a passenger in a vehicle, this may trigger a flashback to the accident that they had previously. Other triggers, such as the event’s anniversary, seeing a particular person, or even weather changes, can cause a person with PTSD to relive their experience.

Avoiding

People with PTSD may avoid people, situations, or places that remind them of their trauma. For example, they may detach from their family and friends, becoming isolated from other people in their life. A loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed may be expected, too, if they associate that hobby or enjoyment with trauma.

Increased arousal

Increased arousal includes any symptoms that show a change in behavior following a traumatic event. For instance, outbursts of emotion, problems with affection or relating to others, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. People with PTSD may also be jumpier and startle easily due to being in ‘fight or flight‘ caused by their trauma.

Negative cognitions

Negative feelings and thoughts are common PTSD symptoms. A person with PTSD may feel survivor’s guilt or feel that nowhere is safe and they cannot trust anyone. Feelings of blame, anger, shame, and sadness, as well as a sense that no one understands them, are typical symptoms of PTSD.

Alongside these four categories, people with PTSD may also have physical symptoms relating to anxiety and stress. For instance, headaches and stomach aches are common physical symptoms of PTSD, alongside shakiness, increased heart rate, and difficulty breathing, particularly when in a high-stress situation or experiencing a trigger.

Is PTSD in children different?

Children can experience trauma in their lives like adults, leading to PTSD. However, how children respond to stressors can differ from how adults respond in similar circumstances. Depending on the age of the child, the following symptoms might be apparent in children with PTSD:

Regression

Regression is a common symptom of PTSD in children. For example, potty-trained children may start wetting the bed again, or older children may begin sucking their thumbs. Regression in walking, talking, and learning are all symptoms of PTSD in younger children.

Sleeping problems

Trouble sleeping in older children may be a symptom of PTSD. For example, not wanting to sleep due to nightmares of past trauma or difficulty staying asleep through the night. Problems with sleeping can lead to further irritability and difficulty concentrating.

Dissociation

Dissociation can be a sign of PTSD in children. Zoning out and not paying attention to the world around them, as well as not showing any interest in fun activities or things they enjoy, can be symptoms of PTSD in children, mainly if there is a drastic change in behavior and attention.

Strong emotional behavior

Emotional outbursts and signs of depression can suggest PTSD in children. For example, irritability and being quick to anger can be noticeable behavioral changes. Lack of interest in anything and a subdued, depressive mood can also be symptoms of PTSD in some children.

What causes PTSD?

PTSD can be caused by various traumatic incidents, both to the individual and surrounding them. Different people react differently to situations, so there’s no rule for what causes PTSD and what doesn’t. However, some of the most common exposures to trauma leading to PTSD include:

Direct exposure

Direct exposure happens when a single incident occurs to an individual, leading them to develop PTSD. For example, being in a car accident is one direct exposure where the person was directly involved in the trauma.

Witness exposure

Witness exposure occurs when someone is exposed to a trauma happening to someone else. For example, if someone witnessed their family member being hurt or killed, this could lead them to develop PTSD as a witness to the incident.

Learning exposure

Learning exposure involves PTSD to a third party after they learn of an incident from another person. For example, if someone is told that a friend was severely hurt or killed by a friend’s family member, they may develop PTSD due to this trauma.

Repeated exposure

Repeated exposure typically applies to cases of C-PTSD, where a person is exposed to trauma more than once. For example, domestic violence or childhood sexual abuse are examples of trauma that often happen more than once, with repeated exposure to this trauma leading to the development of C-PTSD.

PTSD isn’t a linear condition. What may negatively affect one person’s mental health may be less influential on another. As such, there’s no one situation where a person is ‘guaranteed’ to have PTSD symptoms from an event. Some examples of the types of traumatic events that could lead to PTSD include:

  • Rape, sexual assault, or molestation
  • Physical injury, such as an assault or bite from an animal
  • Abuse of any kind, such as homophobia or racism
  • Kidnapping or imprisonment
  • Domestic violence
  • Seeing another person being hurt or killed
  • Seeing or hearing distressing things at work, in roles such as emergency services
  • Surviving a large-scale disaster, such as a fire or tsunami
  • Traumatic childbirth
  • Losing a close friend or family member under challenging circumstances
  • Receiving difficult treatment for other mental health concerns
  • Serious accidents, such as a car crash

What treatments are available for PTSD?

Treatment for PTSD depends on the severity of the condition and the needs of the individual. In many cases, access to therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, is a valuable way to treat PTSD. Other treatments include exposure therapy and stress inoculation therapy to help individuals manage the symptoms of PTSD.

Medication can also help to control specific symptoms of PTSD. For instance, SSRI and SNRI antidepressants can relieve anxiety and depression-related symptoms affecting recovery. For individuals with hallucinations or trouble sleeping, other medical options may suit their needs to help them recover and manage day-to-day life.

Alongside these medical and psychological treatments, the support of peer groups, such as group therapies and communities, is invaluable for finding support in the community. Many peer support groups exist across the US for people with PTSD and parents, family members, and friends of individuals with PTSD.