Most people know about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as shell shock. You may be experiencing debilitating nightmares or find yourself being over-reactive. PTSD is commonly attributed to the military community. While PTSD in veterans is a common occurrence, you do not have to be in the service to have PTSD.
PTSD symptoms can impact anyone. PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder that occurs after a deeply scary or intimidating event. You do not even have to be directly involved in the event for you to experience PTSD. That is to say, the pure shock of the event can be so large that you have a difficult time living a normal life.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Utah.
Who does PTSD affect?
PTSD does not discriminate. Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. It can occur in all people of any ethnicity, nationality, culture, gender, and so on.
PTSD can affect anyone who has been exposed to any form of:
Abuse
Trauma
Life-threatening situations
Not everyone with PTSD has experienced a traumatic event first-hand. Some people can develop PTSD after seeing a family member or close friend go through a traumatic event, including inherent danger and/or harm.
For example, a sudden death of a loved one, a major life transition, can lead to PTSD. You may have lost someone unexpectedly and, now, you struggle with a deep fear that you will lose another person close to you quickly and without any notice or warning signals.
As previously stated, anyone can develop PTSD. With that said, the following groups of people are at a greater risk of developing PTSD:
Veterans
Accident victims
Sexual assault survivors
How do I know if I have PTSD?
If you struggle with PTSD, you may feel hopeless- like you will never get your life back. People with PTSD can have several uncomfortable symptoms.
Symptoms of PTSD include:
Flashbacks of traumatic events
Difficulty concentrating
Insomnia or difficulty sleeping (If you are struggling with insomnia, read our blog: “How CBT Can Help With Your Insomnia”)
Fatigue
Nightmares or disturbing dreams
Intrusive thoughts and memories
Hopelessness, sadness, and/or depression
Feelings of detachment
Self-destructive or risk-taking behavior
You may have PTSD if you resonate with some of the aforementioned symptoms for one or more months, and you are struggling with your quality of life. At Anchor Therapy, we have PTSD therapists who are trained to help you feel like your best self again.
What are some signs that a serious problem is developing?
You know yourself the best. When you are not feeling good or are not living up to your full potential, you can tell. Going through a traumatic experience understandably changes your thoughts and behaviors. These alterations may even make it so hard to complete simple daily tasks, like showering.
Some signs that a serious problem may be developing include the following factors:
Having difficulty performing tasks at home, school, or work
Having severe sleeping issues
Taking risks and generally not caring what happens to you
Constantly being on edge or irritable
Being unable to showcase emotions or emotionally respond to other people
Filling up your schedule to avoid problems
Using unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as alcohol, drugs, and gambling
Why do some people develop PTSD and other people do not?
Not everyone who goes through a traumatic event develops PTSD. In fact, most people who endure a dangerous event do not develop the disorder.
PTSD is complex as it involves many components, also known as risk factors. Risk factors make you more likely to develop PTSD.
The following are examples of risk factors for PTSD:
Having a history of mental illness or substance abuse
Getting physically hurt
Living through dangerous events or serious traumas
Seeing another person harmed
Childhood trauma (Check out our blog: “How To Heal Childhood Trauma As An Adult”)
Constantly feeling helpless or fearful
Having little to no social support
Dealing with a lot of stress (e.g., loss of a job, injury, loss of a loved one) - If you need help managing your stress, read our blog: “Everything You Need To Know About Stress Management Therapy”)
After experiencing trauma, the following can promote recovery:
Having a positive coping strategy or having a healthy way of getting through the bad event (e.g., meditating, engaging in progressive muscle relaxation, listening to music, etc.)
Being able to act, respond, and effectively deal with your day-to-day responsibilities despite feeling anxiety
Seeking out support from your social network, including family members and trusted friends
Finding a support group after the traumatic event
Learning to feel good about yourself and your actions regardless of what you have gone through
Is having social support really that important in the PTSD recovery process?
Absolutely. Many people experience PTSD in the two week period after a traumatic event; however, due to social support from close family members and friends, they do not develop PTSD. It is for this reason that many PTSD therapists wait a full month after the traumatic event to give a PTSD diagnosis.
Along the same lines, PTSD treatment typically starts two to three weeks after a traumatic event. However, that is not the case for every situation. Every case is unique. A particular event may be very distressing, and your emotions and reactions may be extremely intense. In this context, it is recommended that you seek the professional help of a CBT therapist for PTSD as soon as possible.
During the first few days and weeks following the traumatic event, it is important to get all of the help you need. This may look like talking to family and friends for some. For others, it may be researching PTSD therapy and other professional resources to help you properly recover. Do not hesitate to reach out if you need more help and guidance than what your family and friends can offer.
What first steps can I take in feeling better?
Taking the first step to feel better and help yourself is an amazing accomplishment! It is difficult to get to that place. Although it may take some time, by showing yourself love and engaging in PTSD therapy, you can recover and feel like your best self again.
In addition to PTSD counseling, you can try out the following activities:
Pinpoint and seek out comforting situations, people, and environments
Create a treatment plan with your PTSD counselor
Have realistic expectations about your treatment plan (for example, you can anticipate that your symptoms will improve gradually, not all at once)
Break up large tasks into smaller ones so you do not overwhelm yourself
Set priorities to prevent spreading yourself too thin
Engage in exercise to reap the stress reduction benefits (Check out our blog “5 Ways Exercise Benefits Your Mental Health”)
Try to spend time with other people
Give yourself grace! You are doing what you can
The best thing you can do after a traumatic situation is to take care of yourself.
I think I have PTSD. When should I reach out for help?
Generally, it is recommended that you reach out to a therapist for PTSD sooner rather than later.
You should seek PTSD treatment if you:
Do not feel better after two weeks have passed since the traumatic event
You constantly feel anxious or distressed
Your reactions to the trauma are negatively impacting your home life, work, school, and/or relationships
You are thinking of harming other people or yourself (Feeling suicidal? Help is only a phone call away at the free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988)
If you feel off two weeks after the traumatic event, a general guideline is that is when you should seek the help of a professional complex PTSD therapist. There are several effective PTSD treatments available.
Regardless of what route you decide to take, all PTSD treatment plans include some form of PTSD counseling. PTSD trauma therapy will allow you to understand what is happening and show you ways how you can manage your reactions.
A main component of PTSD treatment is confronting your traumatic experience so it no longer holds power over you. In exposure therapy for PTSD, you will learn how to work through the thoughts and beliefs you have surrounding your traumatic experience.
A PTSD specialist will assist you in:
Reducing your PTSD symptoms
Improving your quality of life
Lessening your anxiety and depression
Enhancing your self-esteem
Is CBT used for PTSD treatment?
Trauma focused CBT for PTSD is an extremely effective treatment. In fact, most PTSD therapies can fall under the umbrella of CBT.
What exactly is CBT?
CBT highlights the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. More specifically, it emphasizes how a change in one domain can impact the others. For example, if you are having intrusive thoughts, CBT will teach you how to change your thought patterns, quite literally rewiring your brain. This leads to healthier behaviors and better emotional regulation. CBT looks at your current problems and symptoms.
What techniques are used in CBT for PTSD?
CBT is an effective treatment method for PTSD in both children and adults.
Cognitive therapists for PTSD use different techniques. Some of the techniques include:
Exposing you to reminders of the trauma in a controlled way - This teaches you how to confront your distress instead of avoiding it
Changing cognitive disorders and encouraging the growth of more balanced thinking - This teaches you how to stop overgeneralizing and having constant negative expectations
Educating you about common trauma reactions - This teaches you how to prepare for potential crises and stress management techniques
CBT works across many cultures and is a suitable treatment plan for a variety of traumatic events. It has both short-term and long-term benefits.
What are the benefits of cognitive therapy for PTSD?
In CBT therapy, you will gain a deep understanding about your disorder, and feel empowered to take the positive steps to change it.
Benefits of CBT for PTSD:
Makes you understand that you have the power to change your situation if you want to
Enhances your self-esteem
Helps you relax
Allows you to develop a more rational thought process
An example of cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD in action:
Let us say that you did not experience harm directly, but you witnessed violence to someone you love. For instance, you may have seen a loved one die in front of you in a quite horrific way. Now, you have been struggling with PTSD for a year.
You may have nightmares that are playing in your head each night on repeat, and you may avoid the place where your loved one passed. Anytime you have a thought that reminds you about your loved one, you quickly try to push it out of your mind or you will end up spiraling.
You have constant, intrusive thoughts surrounding the event, and you even feel guilty for not doing something to protect or save your loved one. This has caused general irritability and depression to spark in you.
Now, your symptoms have been really taking a toll on you, impacting your ability to complete tasks at work and connect with your family. It is clear that you would benefit from CBT that addresses your PTSD, depression, and grief. If you are interested in grief counseling, read our blog: “What to Expect in Grief Counseling.” If you are not sure if grief counseling is for you, check out this blog post: “How to Know When to Seek Grief Therapy & Learn All About the New Grief Diagnosis.”
In your sessions, your CBT therapist will begin challenging your thoughts, teaching you to think in a more healthy manner and how to engage in effective coping mechanisms. When you experience a rise in your anxiety, your anxiety therapist will help you identify the unhelpful thought and increased stress response.
Your therapist may even give you a homework assignment in CBT. This may include journaling your intrusive thoughts or anxiety levels throughout the day. In addition to something like a journaling activity, you are encouraged to continue to restructure your thoughts and use your coping mechanisms outside of sessions.
The process of restructuring your thoughts takes time- it will not happen overnight, but it is a worthwhile investment! CBT for PTSD will allow you to communicate about your emotions more openly while also becoming more aware of how self-blame impacts your thoughts.
PTSD is a complex disorder; however, the one thing that should not be confusing is reaching out for the professional help of a PTSD therapist. If you are struggling and want to feel like your best self again, do not hesitate to reach out. At Anchor Therapy, we have psychotherapists for PTSD who are trained to help you identify your triggers, alter your unhelpful thoughts, and teach you healthy coping mechanisms.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark, planning to study Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the graduate level. As a Social Media Manager at Anchor Therapy, Victoria is committed to producing content for and managing the office’s social media presence and blog.
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