Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

When it comes to anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder is often the one 
people forget about, except under the most extreme circumstances. The fact is, people 
who have gone through a major trauma like war or being in a life or death accident are 
not the only ones who can have this disorder.

As people become more familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is more 
important than ever to get treatment and find a good support system. It is not quite the 
same as anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder, which 
tend to be easier to diagnose. 

With PTSD, people can range from someone who witnessed a crime to an individual 
who faces something frightening to them as a child, who is still struggling with it. These 
events can range from moderate to severe, and still trigger the flashbacks and panic 
attacks that accompany PTSD.

This report is going to provide you more information about this type of anxiety disorder 
so that you know what it is like, how to notice the signs and diagnose it, and what 
treatment options are available.
 
1. Understanding PTSD

Before we talk about how to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, let’s go over the basics 
of this anxiety disorder and what makes it different from others you may come across. 
You probably know the basics of PTSD based on the name alone, but here is more 
information about this type of disorder.

What is PTSD?

The basic definition of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health 
illness following a traumatic event. Now, it can get much more complex than that, but it 
is essentially a type of anxiety that was caused and is triggered by the event that 
occurred. As mentioned in the previous section, this can be an event people often think 
of, such as being in combat or seeing a crime committed right in front of them. Other 
people might experience events that don’t always seem traumatic, but are for the 
individual. 

We will go over this a little more in the section about the causes of PTSD, but this can 
include being a victim of sexual assault, being verbally or physically abused, going 
through emotional trauma, witnessing a natural disaster, being in a bad car accident, or 
even just being injured in the workplace.

Why it is Sometimes Missed

There are a few reasons people often miss the signs, including doctors. The first reason 
is because with PTSD, the effects of the disorder don’t always occur right away. Many 
people experience shock following a traumatic event, some worse than others. But the 
effects like fear, worry, and panic attacks often go away over time. 

Someone with PTSD will start to experience worsening symptoms as time goes on, 
instead of them improving or going away. At this point, it is sometimes just referred to as 
shock, but it has actually transformed into a type of anxiety. This is especially true when 
the flashbacks, violent outbursts, and severe panic attacks begin.

How it is Different From Other Anxiety Disorders

As you might have guessed, the effects of PTSD can be very similar to other anxiety 
disorder, even depression. People with post-traumatic stress disorder have a type of 
panic attack, though it is often different from someone with generalized anxiety or panic 
attack disorder experience. These are usually related to flashbacks or other triggers.

Another thing to understand is that it is very possible for someone to have both PTSD 
and another anxiety disorder simultaneously. They might have had anxiety prior to the 
event, then developed PTSD. Other people can develop multiple anxiety disorders all 
from the same traumatic event.

You will soon find out just how complex PTSD can be, but that there are plenty of ways 
to deal with it and live a normal life.

2. What Can Cause PTSD

Unlike many other forms of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder is not something you 
will be born with. This has an actual cause, based on an event or series of events you 
have gone through. As you have probably guessed, it comes from experiencing a 
traumatic event. Keep in mind that this might not seem traumatic to someone else, but it 
triggered the anxiety disorder in you. It can be different for everyone.

Are You at a Higher Risk?

Before getting into the different events that might cause PTSD, let’s go over some risk 
factors. You should first know that absolutely anyone can get post-traumatic stress 
disorder, regardless of your race, religion, age, gender, or any other factors. This can 
happen to a small child, adolescent, adult, or senior citizen. It is not more common for 
certain genders or even people with particular backgrounds.

However, there are some risk factors that might make you a little more susceptible to 
developing PTSD. For example, if you are someone who already has other forms of 
anxiety, you might be at a higher risk for getting post-traumatic stress disorder as 
compared to someone else who went through a similar event. 

Here are some other scenarios related to traumatic events that can put you at a higher 
risk for PTSD:

You didn’t get good emotional support following the incident 
You have gone through multiple traumatic events, such as in a war or similar series of 
events 
You experienced a lot of childhood trauma 
You were a witness to someone else being hurt 
You have a history of substance abuse

What Can Be a Traumatic Event?

As we covered in a previous section, the traumatic event that triggers post-traumatic 
stress disorder symptoms is not always a massive event. People often think about 
someone who is caught in a house fire before escaping or someone who went through 
combat as having PTSD. But this can happen with many different types of events. 
Here are some ideas of what a traumatic event might entail:

Being in a car accident where a close friend or relative was severely injured or killed 
Having a severe accident in the workplace 
Going through trauma during your childhood or adolescence 
Being a victim of domestic violence 
Witnessing someone else who was a victim of domestic violence 
Being a victim of a robbery, whether someone was harmed or not

Post-traumatic stress disorder is not always from physical violence or a threat of 
physical violence. It is often emotional and stems from the fear or hopelessness 
experienced during those traumatic events.

3. Common Signs and Symptoms

Do you suspect you might have post-traumatic stress disorder? If you do, it is essential 
that you look at the common signs and symptoms first, then talk to your doctor about it. 
You should never just leave your mental illness up to chance, especially with something 
like PTSD.

Here are some of the more common symptoms people with PTSD usually have. You 
may have some, but most likely not all, so keep that in mind. You do not need to have 
every single symptom in order to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Categories of Symptoms

Instead of just listing all the signs and symptoms for PTSD, it is easier to look at the four 
different categories. These four categories are basically different types of symptoms 
that someone with PTSD often struggles with. You might have more of one category, a 
little of each, or another combination of symptoms.

Dreams and Flashbacks – The first category of symptoms for post-traumatic stress 
disorder have to do with the flashbacks. Since this is such a big part of PTSD, we are 
also going to go a little more in-depth into flashbacks in the next section.

This category of symptoms is all about re-living or experiencing the traumatic event over 
and over again, which then causes a lot of anxiety and panic. You may feel as if you are 
dealing with the event, either while awake or dreaming. The flashbacks feel extremely 
real until someone can bring you back to reality.

Avoidance Tendencies – The next category of PTSD symptoms has to do with how 
you handle situations. Typically, you practice avoidance, which is similar to other forms 
of anxiety as well. You will avoid certain areas or people related to the event. If you had 
a bad accident in an elevator, you will do everything you can to never take the elevator. 

Fear, Guilt, and Shame – The third category is all about negative feelings and 
emotions you have after the event. This is when you have a lot of negativity in your 
mind, where you have a hard time socializing and being the person you were before the 
event. You have a lot of shame and guilt if you survived an event that someone else did, 
fear, and panic surrounding memories of the event.

High Alert or Hyperarousal – Being on high alert, also called hyperarousal, is also 
very common in people with post-traumatic stress disorder. With this category of 
symptoms, you probably experience lack of focus, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating 
on any one thing. It also includes unhealthy habits like smoking or drinking excessive 
amounts of alcohol, behaving recklessly, and constantly being on the lookout for 
danger.

If you have these series of symptoms, you should consult a doctor right away. It is 
essential that you not ignore the symptoms and that you get proper treatment for your 
post-traumatic stress disorder.

4. PTSD Attacks and Flashbacks

A big part of having PTSD is dealing with the flashbacks, memories, nightmares, and 
resulting panic attacks that occur. The flashbacks often feel very real, and can actually 
cause you to hurt yourself or others as a result, which is why treatment for the anxiety 
disorder is so important. 

For example, if you were in a terrible car accident, you can be in someone’s vehicle on 
a busy street, experience a flashback because of something that looks familiar, and 
actually exit the vehicle before anyone can stop you. This puts you in danger of being 
hit by other cars on the road, but also puts other drivers at risk if they are slamming on 
their breaks to avoid you.
 
Dissociation

Part of the flashbacks and panic attacks with PTSD is experiencing dissociation. This 
occurs when you don’t feel connected to the world around you. This is another form of a 
panic attack and often results from having memories or flashbacks. There are different 
effects that come from dissociation, like losing a small amount of memory from events 
that occur during this time, or simply not realizing what is going on around you. 

Depending on where you are when this happens, it can also be very dangerous for you.

Avoiding Flashbacks and Dissociation

If this sounds like something you are experiencing, you need to figure out what triggers 
you. You will also notice a pattern with this and other anxiety disorders, as many of 
them have triggers that make the attacks or flashbacks a lot worse.

The triggers can be extremely subtle, so by keeping a journal with you every time you 
experience these events, you should be able to narrow down what your triggers are. It 
can be as small as seeing someone who looks similar to your attacker, to hearing a loud 
sound like what you heard during a car crash you were in.

It is also a good idea to look for the early warning signs of a flashback coming on so that 
you can warn whoever you are with. They can help you get to a safe, secure location 
where you and other people will not be harmed.

5. Treatments For PTSD

By now, you should have a better understanding of what post-traumatic stress disorder 
is, the causes, and how to know if it is something you are suffering from it. The next 
obvious thing to cover is what you can do about it.

Here are some different treatment options available for this type of anxiety disorder.

Therapy

One thing to remember is that like any other anxiety disorder, you might need to use a 
variety of treatments in order to be able to handle your PTSD symptoms. One good 
thing to start with is therapy. Even if you are trying lifestyle remedies discussed in the 
next section and are taking medication, psychotherapy is still very important.

The therapist you meet with should specialize in post-traumatic stress disorder and 
other forms of anxiety, along with depression as many people have depression 
alongside PTSD. They will determine the best type of therapy for you, whether that is 
prolonged exposure to what is causing your flashbacks, to trying cognitive behavioral 
therapy.

To make treatment most beneficial for you, you need to be consistent with it, and also 
follow the therapist’s other instructions, from taking medications to determining what is 
triggering your side effects.

Medications

You may also be asked to take medications for your PTSD. These are frequently 
recommended alongside therapy, as people with severe anxiety need both in order to 
help with their side effects. If you are getting nightmares or flashbacks on a regular 
basis, you will likely want to take medications that can help reduce them. Prazosin is 
often prescribed for this purpose.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are also prescribed often for people 
with PTSD, as well as other anxiety disorders. These can help you deal with your PTSD 
symptoms and any depression that you are also experiencing at the same time.
Some medication names you might recognize include:

Prozac 
Celexa 
Paxil 
Lexapro 
Zoloft

Trigger Avoidance

In general, avoidance of situations that trigger your flashbacks are seen as a symptom 
of PTSD, but this can also sometimes be a treatment option. This is not often something 
you will do forever, but after first being diagnosed, it is good to reduce those flashbacks 
and panic attacks as much as possible until the other treatment options are more 
effective.

6. Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Flashbacks

In addition to these treatments, like medications and seeing a therapist, there are also 
some lifestyle changes you can make that will help you to deal with your PTSD and the 
side effects from it. Continue trying a different combination of treatment options, both 
from your therapist and what you can do at home, until you figure out what works best 
for you.

Learn How to Ground Yourself

Grounding yourself is vital to dealing with an anxiety disorder like post-traumatic stress 
disorder. This can help you to get back to reality during moments when you have 
flashbacks or you feel something similar is about to happen. Grounding techniques rely 
on using your different senses to help you feel part of the current moment.
 
Some grounding techniques include:

Listening to music – Use your sense of hearing to listen o something that will help to 
ground you. This should preferably be music that relaxes you, instead of gets you all 
hyped up. It can either be a favorite song, or simply relaxing music that will let you shift 
your focus from the fears or bad memories, to what is currently happening.

Holding something in your hand – You can also ground yourself by using your sense 
of touch. This can be by holding any object that lets you focus on how something feels 
physically, instead of letting your mind take over and bring you to a dark place. 

Find something around you that has a specific feeling to it if you touch it, from a soft, 
plastic spiky ball, to running your hands through paperclips on your desk. Some people 
find that keeping a rubber band around their wrist and snapping it a few times works 
best.

Tasting something bitter or sour – For some people, the sensation of a bold taste is 
what helps to keep them grounded. Not just any flavor, but something that is sour or 
bitter. You can keep a bag of sour candy in your desk, or bite into an orange or a lemon.

Looking at your surroundings – If you are more of a visual person, then opening your 
eyes and taking in your surroundings might be what works best for you. Find any visual 
that will keep you in the moment, like watching your dogs sleep or looking out the 
window at whatever view you currently have.

Smelling something fragrant – Lastly, you can use your sense of smell to your 
advantage. Keep something nearby that is highly fragrant to keep yourself grounded, 
like peppermint, lavender, or lilac. This might be in the form of an essential oil diffuser at 
home, or even a strong-smelling air freshener in your car.

Write in a Journal Daily

Journaling is important for many reasons when you have PTSD, not to mention with 
other mental illnesses. You should have a journal that you enjoy writing in, as this helps 
to encourage you to use it on a regular basis. Try to get a journal small enough that fits 
into your purse, bag, or even laptop case. Get some nice writing utensils as well.

With the journal, you want to write in it at least once a day, or whenever the mood 
strikes you. It can help you re-focus your mind when you feel a panic attack or flashback 
coming on, and also gives you something to provide to your therapist when you have 
trouble remembering different events that have occurred.

Another important benefit of journaling with PTSD is that you can often find patterns on 
days that were hardest for you, figuring out what is triggering your flashbacks.
Some things to record in the journal include:

Any time you have dissociation, panic attacks or flashbacks – write what 
happened, what you were doing, who you were with, and any other details you 
remember
How you are feeling each day – At least once a day, just record how you are feeling, 
whether you are having a good, bad, or neutral day
What has helped – Did you notice that when you had early warning signs of a 
flashback, smelling something like peppermint helped to ground you? Definitely write 
that down for future reference.
Even if you just use the journal as something to do when you can’t stop remembering 
the traumatic events that caused your PTSD, it can be very useful in your recovery 
period.

Find a Good Support System

Another vital lifestyle change to make when you have post-traumatic stress disorder is 
to make sure you have a really good support system. You don’t have to tell everyone 
you know about your mental illness, but you should have one or multiple people you 
trust with this information.

Having a good support system lets you have someone you can always turn to on the 
bad days, someone who encourages you to seek treatment when it is needed, and 
someone who knows how to ground you and get you back to reality during the worst 
flashbacks. This understanding is crucial when you are already dealing with a lot of 
negative feelings and emotions.

Some people will prefer going to a support group with others who have PTSD or who 
went through a similar traumatic event, while others want to just have one or two people 
they can trust with this information. It is up to you to decide what works best for you as 
far as a good support system goes.

Focus on Your Physical Health

Lastly, try to focus more on your physical health as you are also working to improve 
your mental health. Your physical health can make a large impact on how you feel on a 
daily basis, from exercise to what you eat or drink. Here are some tips to be in peak 
physical condition so that you can start finding relief for your post-traumatic stress 
disorder:

Eat a healthy diet – To start with, you should be fueling your body with plenty of 
vitamins and minerals through your food. You can feel a lot better physically and 
mentally when you choose foods that you enjoy, but are also good for you. Focus on 
eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and anything that you feel 
good eating. 
Avoid stimulants – Unfortunately, there are stimulants that can be hurting you and 
actually triggering your panic attacks. This includes caffeine and sugar, not to mention 
alcohol and cigarettes. Try to reduce how much caffeine and sugar you consume and 
see how you feel.
Exercise regularly – You have heard this before, but it bears repeating: you need to 
get regular exercise. This goes for everyone, but particularly someone with anxiety 
disorders like PTSD. The exercise can boost your energy and mood by releasing 
endorphins, plus it gives you something else to focus on and helps to ground you.
Focus on self-care – Self-care is also important for your physical and mental health. 
This includes making sure you are taking care of yourself, such as your personal 
hygiene, are feeling confident in your appearance, and are working hard to make sure 
you are spending time with friends and loved ones.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a serious anxiety disorder that you should never just 
ignore and hope it goes away. There are many treatment options available for you to 
help you improve your quality of life.


