Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, difficulty sleeping, irritable or aggressive behavior, emotional numbness, and feeling on edge. Those with PTSD typically avoid people, places, or situations that trigger the memories and feelings associated with the traumatic event. Furthermore, the US Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that depression is between three to five times more likely to occur in trauma victims who develop PTSD than in the general population. Substance abuse is also more common among people with PTSD.

Treatment approaches for PTSD include trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Additionally, play therapy is sometimes used to treat young children with PTSD who are not able to deal with the trauma directly. A new approach known as the Comprehensive Resource Model treats PTSD using elements of psychology, spirituality, neurobiology, and body-based (somatic) techniques.

Sources: Anxiety and Depression Association of America, National Institute of Health, US Department of Veterans Affairs