June is PTSD Awareness Month. Believe it or not, a common misconception about PTSD is that only veterans are affected by it. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, children and teens can be plagued by it too. What is PTSD, and what are the signs you should look out for? We’ll cover this and more below.
What is PTSD?
As it is defined by the American Psychiatric Association, “Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault.”
Can anyone develop PTSD?
Yes, PTSD can occur in anyone that has been affected or impacted by a traumatic event in some way. For some people, they have a direct connection with the event resulting in their symptoms. However, even consumption of too much coverage of a disturbing story on the news can cause PTSD like symptoms in some people depending on their mental state at the time they watched it.
As Brainline explains, “A number of factors can increase the chance that someone will have PTSD, many of which are not under that person’s control….About 7 or 8 out of every 100 people (or 7-8% of the population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives.”
They went onto say, “Personal factors, like previous traumatic exposure, age, and gender, can affect whether or not a person will develop PTSD. What happens after the traumatic event is also important. Stress can make PTSD more likely, while social support can make it less likely.”
What are the symptoms of PTSD?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of PTSD include, but aren’t limited to:
- Bad dreams
- Frightening and recurring thoughts of the traumatic event/ persistent flashbacks
- Avoiding places, people, or things that remind them of the event
- Always being on edge, or tense
- Difficulty sleeping
- Angry outbursts that are sometimes violent
- Negative thoughts
- Trouble remembering the specifics of the event
- Loss of interest in activities they previously enjoyed
- Threatening to hurt oneself
- Trouble eating
In children, additional symptoms may include:
- Wetting the bed after having learned to use the toilet
- Forgetting how to or being unable to talk
- Acting out the scary event during playtime
- Being unusually clingy with a parent or other adult
Can PTSD go away on its own?
In the most simple terms, no, PTSD doesn’t simply go away on its own. It’s unfortunately not like a cold or the flu. The best thing for someone with PTSD is typically to seek treatment with a mental health professional well versed in dealing with the disorder.
In some cases recovery can be found with cognitive therapy, and in other cases medications will be prescribed. Each person with PTSD is unique, and therefore may require a different treatment.
If you or someone you know is experiencing PTSD symptoms, don’t wait. Seek the aid of a mental health professional as soon as possible. No one should have to suffer in silence.