Raising Awareness: June is PTSD Awareness Month

It is estimated that approximately 8 million people in the United States are currently suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Even though there are very effective treatments for PTSD, many people do not get the help that they need. We have created this blog to help bridge this gap and provide information and education regarding PTSD and its treatability. Below are 5 helpful facts and resources related to PTSD.

1. The National Center for PTSD provides accurate and thorough information about trauma and post-trauma reactions like PTSD. Information is available in written and video form.

2. PTSD is treatable. While effective PTSD treatment is available, it is imperative that consumers are aware of the interventions that are most supported by the empirical literature. Two treatments- Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy- have over 25 years of solid research supporting its effectiveness for treating PTSD. These treatments are effective in treating PTSD whether it is a single-incident PTSD or PTSD resulting from repeated traumatic events, such as childhood sexual abuse or childhood physical abuse. These treatments are brief, time-limited and trauma-focused.

3. When deciding about treatment for PTSD, it can be helpful to hear first-hand experiences from others who have struggled with PTSD and have undergone evidence-based treatments for PTSD.

4. It can be challenging to find clinicians who are expert in PTSD treatment. Using google or looking at a clinician’s website can be a good place to start; however, to ensure clinicians have had extensive training in effective PTSD treatments, consumers might consider searching for clinicians through professional organizations that have substantiated clinicians’ credentials and training in effective evidence-based PTSD treatments. The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD Implementation Program and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies provide helpful find-a-therapist search engines.

5. Family and friends of those with PTSD may also wish for information about PTSD and resources to help their loved ones get needed help. Having a loved one with PTSD can be confusing and worrisome; however, family and friends may be comforted to learn that PTSD and traumatic stress symptoms can be treated with the right therapies.

If you, or someone you know is struggling with trauma symptoms or PTSD and you live in Palm Beach County (Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, Parkland and surrounding areas), you can contact the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center of the Palm Beaches to obtain a telephone consultation at 561-299-0383. Dr. Stephanie Sacks is an expert in trauma treatment and PTSD treatment.

June is PTSD Awareness Month

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is be a debilitating mental health condition that can surface after the experience of a significant traumatic event.

We have created this blog in honor of PTSD awareness month with the hope of dispelling some of the most common myths about PTSD, to provide information and hope about this very treatable condition.

Myth #1: You can only get PTSD from combat. This is absolutely untrue. People can go on to suffer from PTSD as a result of many different kinds of traumas: sexual assaults, physical assaults, intimate partner violence, witnessing death or its aftereffects, motor vehicle accidents, other serious accidents, sudden/unexpected losses, natural disasters, man-made disasters, and also combat experiences.

Myth #2: Experiencing a trauma means you have PTSD. Most people experience some trauma over the course of their lives. Having a traumatic event occur is only one factor in the diagnosis of PTSD. Many people go on to recover naturally following traumatic events, and others go on to suffer from other difficulties like depression, anxiety, or substance use disorders. In order for someone to suffer from PTSD, not only do they have to have experienced a traumatic event, but also to suffer from 4 different specific types of symptoms- intrusion/re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance, changes in thinking and mood, and changes in arousal and reactivity for at least one month after the trauma.

Myth #3: Having PTSD means you are weak. Surviving traumatic events speaks to the incredible strength of the human spirit. And struggling to make sense out of a senseless traumatic experience is not evidence of weakness, it’s actually very adaptive and one essential element in order to fully recover from traumas. This inaccurate perspective benefits no one and often keeps people from needlessly delaying important treatment.

Myth #4: PTSD is forever. This could not be more untrue. There are several cognitive behavioral treatments, including Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure therapy, that have been found by decades of research to effectively treat PTSD. These PTSD treatments are recommended by the American Psychological Association Treatment Practice Guidelines for PTSD and by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. These trauma treatments can effectively treat PTSD regardless of trauma experienced (assault, accidents, combat, etc), whether traumas were isolated or repeated, client age, and regardless of time since the trauma was experienced. Even if someone’s traumas occurred 50+ years prior to them coming to treatment, PTSD can still be treated effectively. Also, long-term outcome studies have found that once PTSD is treated, it’s treated. This means that it will not return once treatment is over. These effective PTSD treatments are offered at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center of the Palm Beaches.

Myth #5: If I just avoid the trauma and PTSD symptoms long enough, it’ll just go away. Unfortunately, there is no data to suggest that avoiding the trauma or avoiding symptoms will make them go away. In fact, avoidance of the trauma and associated feelings is one of the factors that can keep people stuck from recovering. This is not a case of “time heals all wounds.” If PTSD symptoms persist for longer than a month, they warrant appropriate treatment.

If you live in Boca Raton or in the greater Palm Beach County area and area looking for an expert PTSD psychologist, PTSD therapist or trauma treatment, contact the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center of the Palm Beaches at info@cbtpalmbeach.com or (561) 299-0383.