What is PTSD? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options

Trauma is when your body remembers what your mind is still trying to survive.

Maybe it has been months since the accident, the assault, the loss, or the deployment. Most days look normal from the outside. But a sound, a smell, or a stretch of road can bring it all back as if it were happening again. Sleep may not come easily. Some people notice they have started steering around certain places, people, or conversations without quite deciding to.

Reactions like these are common in the weeks after a traumatic experience. For many people, they ease with time. When they stay, or grow stronger, it may be post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. This post walks through what PTSD is, how it tends to show up, and which treatments have the best track record.

Why PTSD is more than a bad memory

Most people carry memories they would rather not have. A hard memory can hurt to think about and still stay in the past, where it belongs.

PTSD tends to work differently. The memory does not always feel like the past. It can show up uninvited, feel vivid and close, and bring the body’s alarm with it: a racing heart, a tight chest, the urge to get out. It can feel as if the danger is still happening, even when the person knows, logically, that they are safe.

That is why PTSD is not a matter of being unable to “let it go.” It is a pattern in how the mind and body respond to reminders of what happened. And patterns like that can change with the right kind of help.

Trauma and PTSD are not the same thing

A common belief is that going through trauma leads to PTSD. The research says otherwise. According to the VA’s National Center for PTSD, most people will go through at least one traumatic event in their lives, and most of them will not develop PTSD. About 6 out of every 100 people in the U.S. will have PTSD at some point.

Right after a frightening event, it is normal to feel shaken, jumpy, or numb, and to have trouble sleeping. For most people, these reactions ease over time. According to the VA, PTSD becomes a possibility when symptoms last longer than a month and cause real distress or get in the way of work or home life.

Some things make PTSD more likely. The VA lists how intense or long-lasting the trauma was, being hurt during it, earlier trauma, and stress afterward. It also notes that stress can make PTSD more likely, while social support can make it less likely. About 8 in 100 women and 4 in 100 men will have PTSD at some point in their lives.

Symptoms usually start soon after the event. For some people, though, they may not appear until months or years later.

The four main types of PTSD symptoms

PTSD looks different from person to person, but symptoms tend to fall into four groups.

1. Reliving the event

Memories can come back suddenly and feel very real.

Unwanted memories that show up out of nowhere
Nightmares
Flashbacks, where it can feel like the event is happening again
Strong reactions in the body, like sweating or a pounding heart, when something brings it to mind

2. Avoiding reminders

Many people start working hard to stay away from anything connected to what happened.

Avoiding certain places, people, sounds, or activities
Not wanting to talk or think about the event
Staying busy so the memories do not have room to surface

3. Changes in thoughts and mood

Trauma can shift how a person sees themselves, other people, and the world.

Blaming yourself for what happened, even when it was not your fault
Feeling guilty, ashamed, or angry much of the time
Losing interest in things you used to enjoy
Feeling numb, or distant from people you care about

4. Feeling on edge

The body can stay on high alert long after the danger has passed.

Being easily startled
Trouble sleeping or concentrating
Irritability or sudden anger
Watching for danger, even in safe places

If you are also dealing with low mood or constant worry, our posts on depression and anxiety may help too.

Why PTSD can be hard to shake on your own

Avoidance is one of the main reasons PTSD can hang on. Staying away from reminders brings relief in the moment, which makes sense. But as the VA’s National Center for PTSD puts it, avoiding these feelings and situations can keep a person from recovering.

Beliefs formed after the trauma can also keep it going. According to the VA, some people come to believe they are to blame for what happened, or that the world is a dangerous place. Many carry guilt or shame, wishing they had done more to keep it from happening. Thoughts like these can feel like plain fact, which is part of what makes them hard to question alone.

PTSD can also affect the people around you. Being on edge, pulling away, or reacting strongly to small things can strain even close relationships. Our post on how trauma affects relationships looks at this more closely.

Treatments that help

PTSD treatment works for many people. The VA’s PTSD Treatment Basics names three talk therapies with the strongest evidence. They usually take about 8 to 16 sessions.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) teaches skills to decide whether there are more helpful ways to think about the trauma, such as beliefs about blame or safety. It is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy.
Prolonged Exposure (PE) helps people face their fears by talking through the trauma and gradually approaching safe situations they have been avoiding.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has people hold the memory in mind while paying attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound, until their distress goes down. The goal is for the trauma to become a memory that is no longer so distressing. You can read more in our post on how EMDR therapy works.

Medication can help too. The VA lists sertraline, paroxetine, and venlafaxine as the options with the most evidence. They are prescribed by a medical provider, take time to work, and their benefits end after you stop taking them.

It is understandable to feel nervous about a treatment that involves facing the memory. A good therapist will not rush this, and you can talk with them about a pace that feels right.

When PTSD needs more support

Some reactions after trauma fade on their own. It may be time to reach out for help if:

Symptoms have lasted more than a month
Sleep, work, or relationships are being affected
You are avoiding more and more of your life
You are using alcohol or other substances to cope
You feel hopeless, or have thoughts of hurting yourself

If you are having thoughts of suicide or feel unsafe, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time of day. Veterans can call 988 and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line. In an emergency, call 911.

Therapy for PTSD at Panahi Counseling

For many people, it helps to have someone steady to work with, and an approach that fits what they went through.

At Panahi Counseling, our therapists work with adults across Illinois who are living with the effects of trauma, whether it happened recently or many years ago. Our trauma therapy draws on cognitive behavioral approaches, and some of our clinicians offer EMDR therapy. The work moves at your pace, with safety first. You can read about our therapists to see who might be a good fit.

If you live in Illinois and are looking for a therapist, we offer in-person sessions in Wheaton and online therapy across the state. You are welcome to start with a free 15-minute consultation. It is a low-pressure way to ask questions and see whether it feels right.

If trauma or PTSD symptoms are still affecting your daily life, EMDR therapy can help your brain process what happened so it stops running the show. Our trained EMDR therapists in Wheaton, IL are here to help.

Explore EMDR Therapy