PTSD is classified within the Trauma-and Stressor-related disorders, being caused by exposure to a stressful or traumatic event. Having PTSD and leaving it completely untreated can wind up being serious as it can start to disrupt proper bodily functioning during your day to day life. If left untreated you may develop other mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety or struggle with substance abuse. Enduring regular triggers or the inability to be comfortable in certain situations can start to affect how well you perform at work, can take a toll on your relationships, and affect your health and overall enjoyment with daily activities. PTSD can be developed through a wide variety of causes, essentially any shocking, terrifying, or stressful event. If the symptoms don’t seem serious at the time they can worsen without proper treatment or healthy coping mechanisms developing into a much more serious disorder.

PTSD triggers can include anything that triggers one or more of your sensations to remember the traumatic situation, whether it is a sight, smell, sound, taste, or even just a thought. They can be obvious or very minor, even something as small as the weather being similar to the weather at the time of the event can be considered a trigger. Triggers are anything that you think of or come across throughout your day to day life that in some way reminds your mind or body about the event. The most common reaction to a trigger is a flashback where your mind temporarily thinks about the situation due to something triggering your memory. Flashbacks can make you feel as if you are reliving the situation again either through bodily sensations, emotions or both. You can sometimes predict whether something will act as a trigger such as returning to the site of the event. Many triggers are less predictable, which makes you unaware that they will even act as a trigger until it has occurred. Each person’s triggers are entirely personalized to their specific situation and trauma as they are unique depending on the situation.

The most common type of counselling sought for PTSD is cognitive behavioral therapy as it has proven to be one of the more effective methods of counselling both for short and long term treatment. There are different types of cognitive behavioral therapy, many of which will include some level of exposure therapy and cognitive interventions. Both of which have shown to be very effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD. Licensed clinical psychologists will be the medical professionals who are most often used to treat patients with PTSD via cognitive behavioral therapy, along with psychiatrists for cases where prescription medications are recommended for treatment.

The timeline for PTSD recovery can vary greatly depending on the severity of the trauma and the efficacy of the treatment with the patient. It is possible that within six months of regular treatments patients can experience relief from their symptoms to the point of no longer being diagnosed with PTSD. Many patients will have lasting symptoms for much longer, years even. It is possible that PTSD can become chronic which could require regular treatments for the foreseeable future to alleviate symptoms where the goal is no longer to completely recover but to learn healthy coping mechanisms for the traumatic event. Many patients suffering from PTSD will be recommended to receive cognitive behavioral therapy for at least 6 to 12 weeks. Treatments can be either one-on-one or in a group setting but many people will opt to continue their treatments long after that timeframe which often require less appointments as they continue to recover.

Call us to book an appointment with our PTSD counselor. We are licensed in Ann Arbor MI, Pittsfield Charter TWP MI, Ypsilanti MI, Saline MI, Dexter MI, Scio TWP MI, and surrounding areas.