Living through and surviving traumatic events can lead to the development of a debilitating disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Before a diagnosis is made, people living with PTSD may feel like there is something wrong with them as the effects of trauma keep them from participating in daily life. However, getting help for this disorder with a PTSD treatment plan can help people living with this condition identify how trauma has affected their biology and mental health. This way, they can accept their diagnosis and move toward healing.

Some of the Symptoms of Living With PTSD

People diagnosed with PTSD can develop a number of mental health symptoms as a result of living through the effects of trauma. People who have experienced trauma may believe that they can control the thoughts and feelings they experience as a result of trauma. So, they may place blame on themselves, feel shameful, or guilty about the mental health effects of trauma. Part of the healing process is identifying the negative side effects that trauma brings and understanding that these symptoms are not the fault of the individual who has lived through and survived traumatic events.

Some of the symptoms of PTSD can include:

-anxiety
-depression
-survivor’s guilt
-memory loss
-self-blame
-avoidance behaviors
-self-destructive behaviors
-suicidal thoughts and actions
-relationship troubles
-mood swings
-irritability
-insomnia
-substance abuse
-disordered eating

Getting a PTSD Diagnosis

Those who have lived through a traumatic event or events and also experience some of the above symptoms that characterize PTSD should be assessed in order to receive a diagnosis. Mental health professionals such as psychiatrists can provide accurate PTSD diagnoses to individuals using a mental health assessment tool known as the DSM-5. This is a diagnostic criterion that involves identifying the traumatic event a person has lived through, exploring debilitating symptoms that evolve as the result of trauma, how individuals deal with these symptoms, and identifying how long symptoms have persisted. Once a diagnosis is made, individuals can then seek help through a PTSD treatment plan at a mental health facility or through an outpatient counseling center.

Some Available Treatments Available With a PTSD Treatment Plan

There are a number of treatment approaches that can help individuals dealing with the symptoms of PTSD begin to heal and manage symptoms. These treatments include:

Trauma Education and Discussion: Learning about the effects of trauma on the body and mind is important for people with PTSD. It allows them to acknowledge and accept that the trauma they’ve lived through has biologically changed them – making them incapable of controlling their thoughts and feelings. It can also provide insight into how the experience of trauma can impact relationships and other areas of life in order to come to terms with needing to introduce new and helpful coping mechanisms.

Group Therapy: A group approach to trauma therapy is assistive in helping individuals learn about the impacts of trauma in not only an individual case but as a general rule. It also allows for a safe and encouraging environment to learn about and practice helpful trauma coping skills and relationship tools including boundary-setting, communication, and more.

Getting Outpatient Trauma Help at Yellowbrick

Living with the impact of trauma is difficult. Yellowbrick helps individuals who have developed PTSD as a result of trauma navigate the impacts of this condition so they can begin to heal and manage debilitating symptoms of trauma in their lives. By offering counseling and a number of other treatment tools through our trauma recovery program, individuals find that they can learn how to reduce the impact of negative symptoms brought on by PTSD in our care.