PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and is a condition that affects many veterans and non-veterans alike. PTSD can be the result of experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. The specific nature of the trauma can and does vary greatly.
Most often we hear about PTSD in reference to combat and combat-related military service, or law enforcement and emergency personnel. What you may not realize is that any traumatic event can be sufficient to trigger symptoms of PTSD in anyone.
Experiencing and even witnessing events like childhood abuse, sexual violence, physical assault, being threatened, accidents, a life threatening medical diagnosis, fire, domestic violence, prolonged stress, and any experience that brings into question our ability to remain safe from harm can cause PTSD.
While these events can be traumatic, not everyone who experiences or witnesses these conditions reacts the same way. Some may develop symptoms of PTSD, while others may be unaffected.
“Shell shock” and “combat shock” were earlier attempts to define and understand the symptoms of PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder was often stigmatized in popular culture after the Vietnam conflict, with films and television shows featuring characters suffering from “Vietnam flashbacks” or other issues.
The misunderstanding of PTSD slowly began to change in 1980 when it was recognized as a specific condition with identifiable symptoms. Today, the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are better understood, treatable, and it is recognized as a diagnosis by the medical and mental health communities.
Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Some PTSD symptoms may seem vague and non-specific, while others are more easily identified as evidence of PTSD. Some of the “non-specific” symptoms may be related to other mental health issues and are not specifically limited to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
In the same way, more “specific” symptoms may be present outside of PTSD, but these issues are common “red flags” that indicate PTSD may be the cause rather than a different condition. There is no “one-size-fits-all” diagnosis for the condition.
Suicidal thoughts or self-destructive acts are often a result of PTSD or its related symptoms. Anyone experiencing thoughts or urges to self-harm should seek immediate care to prevent the condition from getting worse in the short-term. (click here for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline)
Non-specific symptoms include varying degrees of irritability, depression, and suicidal feelings. More specific problems include a collection of behaviors known as “hypervigilance” or “hyperarousal”.
Those with PTSD may repeatedly experience the traumatic event (or events) in the form of flashbacks, nightmares, persistent memories, and intrusive thoughts.
These symptoms are not ‘standardized”. They can vary in intensity and frequency. They may come and go, or they may persist over a period of time. Sometimes PTSD sufferers can be high-functioning, and other times they may be more debilitated by the condition.
Prevalence of PTSD
Some sources estimate that as many as 70% of all Americans have experienced a traumatic event sufficient enough to cause PTSD or PTSD-like symptoms. Of that number, some 20% will develop PTSD symptoms, roughly 44 million people. An estimated 50% of all mental health patients are also diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
It is important to note that not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop PTSD. And not everyone who develops PTSD will experience it the same way.
When to Get Some Help
Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, it’s time to talk with your healthcare provider.
The type of symptoms and severity of symptoms are different for everyone. Some may not experience any PTSD symptoms until years after the traumatic event. The best time to start looking for help is when the symptoms persist for more than several days, or when they begin to interfere with daily life and happiness.
If you have disturbing thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event, or if you feel you're having trouble getting your life back under control, consider talking with your health care providers. There are many treatment options available, including mental health counselling, medications, hypnosis and other alternative treatment options, support groups, and more. Many people benefit most from a combination of treatments that address the underlying issues and build new resources.
The Role of Hypnosis
Hypnosis is considered a front-line treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and works well in conjunction with traditional mental health treatments and medications. Hypnosis is an effective tool in resolving the underlying trauma, forging new reactions and behaviors to previously traumatic stimulus, and building new coping structures to maintain health and stability.
Hypnosis differs from many models of traditional “talk therapy” because hypnosis does not require a person to recount a traumatic experience, to talk about it, or “relive” the event in order to process it and begin healing.
In a typical hypnosis session for PTSD, the client is given multiple tools, resources, and opportunities to get back a sense of control over their thoughts and feelings. One method, called ego strengthening, uses a variety of techniques to connect clients with the parts of themselves that are, for example, strong, safe, happy, and confident. Once connected, a physical “anchor” is established to lock in those emotional states, allowing the client to call on those positive feelings any time, anywhere with just a simple, small gesture or thought.
Regression is a hypnotic method that can be successfully used to help clients process traumatic memories. The hypnotist uses creativity and imagination to help the client walk through the traumatic event within a safe place in their imagination, but this time using resources they didn’t have at the time. When this work is done in hypnosis, it changes the way the memory affects the body and mind. The result is that clients are no longer held hostage by the past.
Another way that hypnosis is used in the treatment of PTSD is through the process of neuroplasticity.
All of our experiences, good and bad, are stored in the brain. The experience is encoded in the actual neurologic structural. These connections between brain cells are physically linked to other encodings that trigger a physical or emotional response. A certain song might may you smile and remember a happy time in school. And a particular smell or sound, for example, can cause an increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, and feelings of panic because of the connection between the smell or sound and the memory of a traumatic event where a similar smell or sound was involved. We call this a “trigger”. A trigger is any stimulus that connects with the memory of a traumatic event.
Neuroplasticity uses imagination, language patterns, and hypnotic techniques to break the connections between the “event” brain cells and the “reaction” brain cells, and reconnects the “event” brain cells with a new, more desirable reaction.
In the safety of the controlled environment of our office, we can create the space and environment for clients to resolve those emotional states, to heal, to rebuild, and move forward.∎
Karen Gray is a Certified Professional Hypnotist, a Certified Hypnosis Instructor, a Registered Nurse, and the Director of Green Mountain Hypnosis. For more information on how you can use hypnosis to change your life, contact Karen at karengray@greenmountainhypnosis.com, or (802) 566-0464.